Women Representation At Parliament Needs To Increase

Palembang, S Sumatra, Feb 20 (Antara) - Woman representation in the House of Representatives (DPR) now still needs to increase because the number of legislators is still small, a minister stated. "Woman representation in the DPR for Sumatra, for example, accounts for only about 10 to 20 percent," Linda Gumelar, Minister for Woman Empowerment and Children Protection, stated after attending a promotion activity on increasing the capacity of female legislative candidates, here on Thursday. The minister pointed out that based on the data in the 2009 legislative elections, woman representation in the DPR accounted for only 20 percent, such as in North Sumatra. In South Sumatra, the representation has touched 16 percent. This is the same as in other provinces such as Riau Islands, Bengkulu, Lampung, Bangka Belitung and Jambi. Provinces that were represented by less then 10 percent women included the Aceh Province, which was represented by six percent only. Woman representation still needed to be increased further to 30 percent. The efforts to increase representation must be made by increasing the number of improved human resources of women and popularization by giving attention to mothers and children. Besides all this, the minister added that women should also be active in fighting for democracy so that people`s trust on women will continue to increase. She explained that it was important to increase the number of women in the House so that efforts to empower women will be maximal. In the meantime, Australia`s Ambassador for Women and Girls Natasha Stott Despoja visited Indonesia recently as part of Australia`s international engagement on gender equality and women`s empowerment. "Empowering the women in our society has significant effects: it drives economic growth and is a significant factor in improving the lives of the people in the community at large," Ambassador Stott Despoja stated in a press release from the Australian Embassy in Indonesia, received here Wednesday. During the visit, Despoja spoke at the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children and also met Indonesian Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi. Despoja also visited the women who had benefited from a poverty reduction program, which offers loans to run small businesses. Women from civil society organizations also outlined their agenda to improve women`s economic empowerment, support leadership by women, reduce violence against women, and protect the Indonesian migrant workers overseas. Ambassador Despoja emphasized that the visit had highlighted the value of advancing the political, economic, and social empowerment of women and girls in Indonesia and elsewhere in the region. "I learnt a great deal about how gender equality issues are being tackled in a country that is as geographically and socially complex as Indonesia. I heard Indonesian perspectives and stories on women`s empowerment and it will help guide my ongoing work on these issues," Despoja claimed. Despoja also participated in a live chat session with Facebook fans of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. She answered numerous questions posed by Indonesian men and women on how to improve the condition of women and girls.