TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Women legislators must win public’s trust by avoiding corruption: Women’s empowerment minister
Data from the results of April’s legislative election shows that women’s representation in the House of Representatives for the 2019-2024 term increased compared to the 2014-2019 term.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
National Caucus for Women in the Legislature chairperson GKR Hemas (center) is accompanied by caucus member Siti Hediati Suharto (left) and secretary general Irma Suryani Chaniago at an event in Jakarta in 2015. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
T
he women politicians that will sit in the House of Representatives for the 2019-2024 term need to demonstrate good performance and avoid corrupt practices, otherwise voters will lose trust in them, a minister and a legislator have said.
It is hoped that voters’ trust in women legislators will lead to more women being elected in future elections and eventually help increase women’s representation in legislative bodies.
“I encourage women in the House and legislative councils to practice good governance. In the first place, becoming a representative or a councilor is already difficult for some of us [women], so let’s not tarnish the reputation you’ve built by committing graft,” Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohana Yembise said at a workshop on women’s representation in Jakarta recently.
Likewise, regional representative council member GKR Hemas, who is also the wife of Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, suggested that women lawmakers, especially those who will serve in the 2019-2024 term, must create a five-year plan and list down their goals immediately at the beginning of their term.
“Women representatives must be braver to speak up to the media. The only ones who can bring changes that support gender equality and women’s rights are the women lawmakers themselves,” said GKR Hemas recently.
Both Yohana and GKR Hemas spoke at a workshop and discussion on women’s representation in politics.
Data from the results of April’s legislative election shows that women’s representation in the House for the 2019-2024 term increased compared to the 2014-2019 term.
