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North, Se Asia: Juliet Maric Capeling
JP/Duncan EvansâEvery woman who chooses to combine full-time work with children knows that itâs a challenge
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JP/Duncan Evans
'Every woman who chooses to combine full-time work with children knows that it's a challenge. It can be tough sometimes, but if you get the right support, you can do what you really want to do.'
So says Juliet Maric Capeling. Capeling is the deputy head of mission at the British Embassy in Jakarta and Britain's consul general for Indonesia. She is also the mother of three children.
As consul-general, Capeling bears many responsibilities. In addition to the day-to-day responsibilites of providing a secure and functional work environment for those employed at the British Embassy, she is involved in extending and deepening the political and security relationship between Britain and Indonesia. At times, as deputy head of mission, Capeling represents British Ambassador Moazzam Malik when Ambassador Malik is outside of Indonesia. Capeling, acknowledges that without the right support from her family, such a career would be all but impossible.
Capeling believes that things are improving for women in the workforce, but nonetheless, it is still very difficult for women to successfully combine full-time employment with children. This is especially true in Indonesia, where women are usually obliged to fulfill all the domestic functions of life while receiving little if any support to extend themselves outside of the home. Sometimes Indonesian women complain about this condition, but in Capeling's mind, it is a better and more effective thing to fight for change. Capeling argues that a change in Indonesia giving women more support to fulfill their ambitions outside of domestic life would not only be a good thing for women, but also for the Indonesian economy.
'It's 50 percent of your workforce, and if that 50 percent can't contribute equally, because they have too big a burden in the home, then Indonesia's potentially losing out on a big chunk of talent for its workforce.'
Such a change, however, if it is going to come about, must come about through deeper cultural pressures rather than the pen-strokes of well-meaning legislators. One cannot, she argues, legislate what goes on in the home.
Capeling works in Indonesia while her children live in Spain and her husband travels the globe for business. Asked whether she enjoys living in Indonesia, Capeling eagerly replies that she does because Indonesians seem to balance Capeling's two favorite cultures; those of Spain and Britain. To her mind, Indonesia combines the politeness of British culture with the friendliness of Spanish society.
The embassy demands that some of its staff learn Bahasa Indonesia to a sufficiently advanced level in order to expand the ability of its representatives to conduct and transact business in both English and Indonesian. For Capeling, however, such a decree was not necessary to compel her to take up the language. To live in a foreign country and understand it, Capeling believes that one must know something of the language.
'Learning the language is also about learning the culture. And learning how people use the language is about how to understand the country. And it's polite in a way where you're in someone's home you speak the language that they use. The relationship can be so much better if you can communicate in the language of the country.'
Capeling has always been interested in languages and travel. To date, she has learned French, German, Spanish, Dutch and Arabic to varying degrees of competency. When asked to compare these languages with Indonesian, Capeling notes that while it is comparatively easy to reach a basic level in Indonesian to the point where one can conduct a conversation, to attain an advanced competency in Indonesian is very difficult, just as it is in any other language. 'But it's a really logical language, especially because it's phonetic. If you can read, you can spell, and if you can write you can speak easily. But then you have some tricky grammar,' she laughs.
Capeling moved into the foreign office to satisfy a desire within her to give back to society. 'I guess it sounds cliche I know, but I reached that stage.' Her services rendered to Britons abroad earned her the title of Order of the British Empire. The title was conferred on her last year in November. Prince William presented her with the honor, and Capeling credits it as one of the most precious moments in her life.
Capeling is an avid reader and has had a love of books and an incessant need to read since she was a small child. She remarked that she would sometimes dress for school as a girl with one hand organizing her shoes and clothes and the other hand propping up a book. She lists Ford Madox Ford's magnum opus, Parade's End, as her favorite book and claims that Ford has not received the attention he is due. Capeling also lists Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd and Jane Austen novels as books that have excited and inspired her.
'Sometimes the story pulls you in a lot of different directions. And it challenges your own kind of values.' Capeling believes that books can have a deep and lasting influence on a person's thoughts and behavior. Indeed, Capeling says that she has learned nearly everything she knows from books.
It is little surprise then, that Capeling advises her children to read as much as possible, and like a true believer, has resisted the blasphemy of Kindle.
Capeling says that the times spent shopping for books with her children have been among the happiest moments in her life.
Capeling's life has been a full one to date. She has built up an impressive career and has raised children while doing so. Capeling does not declare herself a feminist, but she proves that a woman can work as hard as a man, and even harder, when she gets the right kind of support.
