FIRST LADY STRESSES WOMEN'S ROLE IN CREATIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Jakarta, Aug 7 (ANTARA) - Indonesian women have an important role to play in creative economic development in the country, First Lady Ani Yudhoyono said here on Friday.

Speaking at a function to open Creative Indonesia and Nusantara Food Product fair at the Jakarta Convention Center, Ani Yudhoyono said the women's role in creative economic development had reached more than 50 percent.

"Women are the main contributors in the creative economy," the first lady said adding that women played a significant role in arts and culinary production.

On the occasion, Ani Yudhoyono expressed hope that the creative economy could be a source of power and defense in the face of the global economic crisis.

"The negative impact of the global financial crisis is being felt by all, and this exhibition should reflect our strength and creativity to face the crisis," the first lady said.

Accompanied by Mufidah Kalla, the wife of Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Anni Yudhoyono opened the Creative Indonesia and Nusantara Food Product fair
The fair was organized by the trade ministry in cooperation with the United Indonesia Cabinet Wives Solidarity (SIKIB) in the framework of the Indonesia Creative Year 2009 which was declared by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in December 2008.

The fair, held for the fourth time, is participated in by more than one hundred small- and medium-scale businesses from all provinces in Indonesia.

The fair is intended to introduce and promote typical Indonesian culinary and packaged food products.

In the food exhibition, breadfruit was selected as an alternative staple food to replace flour because the breadfruit tree is easy to grow anywhere in Indonesia without special care.

In her address, Indonesia Creative Year 2009 organizing committee chairperson Mari Elka Pangestu said the event was being held at the initiative of First Lady Ani Yudhoyono.

Mari Pangestu, who is also the trade minister, said the first lady in 2008 proposed to conduct an Indonesia Creative fair to promote the country's various culinary potentials and other creative industry products.