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Women take up more space in STEM, peacekeeping
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Walk this way: Activists from women’s grassroots communities from 34 provinces across the country walk to the State Palace to meet with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Wednesday. The meeting, titled “Strengthening the Nation Together”, was held to commemorate International Women’s Day, which falls on March 8. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
M
ore and more women are moving to the front lines of the nation’s development, taking up leadership roles in areas traditionally dominated by men such as engineering and peacekeeping.
The construction director and the head of railway engineering for the Jakarta MRT mega infrastructure project are both women, Silvia Halim and Tengku Alia Sanda.
On a separate occasion, ahead of International Women’s Day on Friday, The Habibie Center, supported by UN Women, recognized the roles of two other women in peacekeeping, a male-dominated field in a program to recognize women who are peacemakers. They are, among others, Cherly C. Laisina from Maluku and Atun Wardatun from West Nusa Tenggara.
Silvia said she believed no jobs should be considered only for men and explained they were male-dominated simply because “they got a head start”.
“Remove the limits and whatever boxes we think there are. First, it comes from women themselves. Before they even start, they already limit themselves just because they are women,” said Silvia, who graduated from Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
“Nobody in my family was a civil engineer [...] I chose civil engineering because it was something that suited my personality. I’m the kind [of person] who likes to see the things I build,” Silvia said.
Silvia has worked for the Singapore Land Transport Authority for 12 years.
