Women’s Involvement Still Lacking

Kompas, page 11

The dspecially women.

Deputy Chairman of the National Commission on Anti-Violence against Women Yuniyanti Chuzaifah said women are increasingly marginalized and are most affected if the economic burden of families increases. In addition, the maternal mortality rate in Indonesia is difficult to lower due to simplification that it is as a mere health issue. Not to mention, she added, the cultural perspective that encourages early marriages to reduce the coverage of the economy.

According to the Human Development Report 2016 issued by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the gender gap caused Indonesia’s HDI score to decline 18.2 percent from 0.689 (2015) to 0.563 (2016). The gap is apparent from life expectancy, length of schooling, and its relation to national revenue.

Director of Higher Education, Science & Technology, and Culture of the National Development Planning Agency Amich Alhumami said, despite the government’s efforts to ensure equitable access to education, one of which is through the Indonesia Smart Card and school operational assistance funds; however, economic pressures are often much stronger than government policy interventions.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of Philanthropy Indonesia Hamid Abidin said, the empowerment of women is not seen as an important part of fundraising for donations of most philanthropic institutions. Women are also not being much involved in fundraising. In fact, based on the survey report of the Public Interest Research Advocacy Center in 2007, the level of generosity of women is very high at 99.7 percent with the average amount donated of Rp 287,242 per year, higher than males (99.5 percent) despite the nominal could be USD 360,736 per year.