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Gender equality in Indonesia: The rising tide that lifts all boats
Women won a major victory with the passing of the Elimination of Domestic Violence Law in 2004. The backlash occurred very quickly with the passing of the Pornography Law in 2008, pushed by the Islamist parties.
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Women celebrate International Women's Day 2020 in Sarinah, Central Jakarta, on March 8 2020. (JP/Donny Fernando)
Sometimes the best time to start a new beginning, is at the end.
That was the case with birth of the Gender and Democracy Center (GDC) of the Institute for Research, Education and Information on Economy and Social Affairs (LP3ES), launched on Dec. 28 last year.
Didik Rachbini, the chairman of the executive board of LP3ES, had asked me to set up the GDC in August, on its 50th anniversary, after I had criticized it for its lack of gender balance and perspective (See “50 years LP3ES, 76 years Indonesia: Quo vadis?” The Jakarta Post, Aug. 18, 2021).
That very same evening, excitedly he texted me, “You have to join LP3ES and establish a center for women and democracy, gender or whatever you name it, and lead it as its director!”
Wow, he must have had an epiphany, which is akin to receiving a revelation from God! In 50 years, finally the Almighty decided to touch the mind and heart of the executive of LP3ES and Didik happened to be the chosen one!
Epiphanies are rare and powerful, and can change one’s life trajectory, in the case of LP3ES, its 50-year masculinist “women-don’t-seem-to-matter” one.
So of course I said yes to Didik’s request. Carpe diem. If I did not seize the opportunity, who knows, it might be another 50 years before another epiphany occurs within LP3ES!
