 Mother is our first teacher. She begins teaching us since we were in her belly. Now her duty is getting harder since the era challenges us to be tougher, smarter and wiser. Mother prepares our life canvas and tells us how to draw our own life on them to answer the challenge. Isn’t she great?
The Central Statistics Board (BPS) temporary projection shows that by November 8th 2007 the number of women aged 15-54 years old is 66.853, while men is 66.543. From that projection we can conclude that we can not belittle women’s power. When the power of every woman is united it can become an amazing power to push national development so that we can reach a better future faster.
In celebrating a century of Indonesian women’s resurgence our First Lady, Mrs. Ani Yudhoyono opened the event in the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment office. The pictures exhibition there showed photos and symbols of the Indonesian women’s struggle in the last 100 years to reach an equality of rights and opportunities in their life and national development. The photos were good and tell us well about how the Indonesian women fought in 100 years.
In amazement, Mrs. Yudhoyono, or Ibu Ani said that a picture tells us better than a million words. She’s so proud of what Indonesian women have achieved, especially in education, economy, health, culture, environment, politic, national defense, security and also media. “I am sure that by working hard, smartly and sincerely, insya Allah, the role of the Indonesian women will be able to become more significant in national development,” she said.
She also wished that Indonesian women could be more active in fulfilling 100 years of Indonesian Resurgence. She assured that women could become as good as men in every life aspect.
“They just have opportunity to start earlier than us,” she said. “Yet, we are just several decades behind them. Don’t worry. Step by step, women keep trying to catch up, and the result has shown well enough. Of course women still have to try harder since we still have to face problems, such as tradition and education that is the key for solving national issues.”
Our President, Bambang Yudhoyono has the same idea about the power of Indonesian women. He said, at the IWAPI National Conference on November 7th, 2007, that the power of Indonesian women is great but we have not yet used it completely or women have not played their role thoroughly yet. In other words, there are still under- utilized resources. “But I am sure that the Indonesian women’s power is a benevolent force that is able to mend our future,” said the President.
On a different occasion, at the National Mother’s Day Celebration in TMII, on December 18th, 2007, the President said in his speech that we had to empower Indonesian women in every sector to achieve Indonesian welfare.
Economic Empowerment
In this era, according to Mrs. Ani Yudhoyono, there are actually many opportunities for women in within their daily activities. They can be agents of economy. Housewives who have family responsibilities and don’t have any help don’t have to become big economic agents that need big capital. Being a small economic agent and useful for others, is great. In fact, we have millions of small economic agents that have a big influence on the national economy.
For women who like to be entrepreneurs, she hoped that they could be more resourceful in seeing chances. Instead of waiting for chances, they have to make them. Then she quoted her husband’s words: “The real entrepreneur doesn’t only seek for opportunity, but becomes opportunity creators.”
She then asked the women to eliminate poverty in this nation by enhancing their productivity and uniting their mission and vision for the Indonesian women’s resurgence.
Family’s bastion
Economic problems result in uneven social welfare and impact on the mother’s health. It is difficult for them to serve nutritious meals for their children, let alone for themselves.
Demographic records shows that there is an improvement in the Indonesian economy, yet the women’s condition are still not good enough especially women in villages and poor provinces in the coastal and mountain areas.
“Access to health services, education and chances to develop economy are rare. That is why the women’s condition in those areas is not as good as those who live in big cities,” said Dra. Siti Haminarti, MM, head of Pengasih sub district in Kulonprogo, DIY.
“Those conditions also explain why mothers in poor provinces are uneducated, poor and have ill health due to malnutrition. Besides, if we like to answer the era’s challenge, Indonesian women should be healthier and smarter so that they can enhance their productivity and be more useful for their family, community and country. Women and mothers are main agents and have rights in participating in national development,” said the sub district head whose first degree was from Gajah Mada University and her second degree from Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta.
According to her, a mother has a multi dimensional function. As a wife, she has to stand beside her husband, physically and mentally. She is her husband’s partner that provides constructive contributions. “A wife should be a supporter to her husband. Sometimes, she has to be a controller when her husband makes wrong decisions. A wife should be a good discussion associate, a friend, a lover in sick and well. As for her children she has to protect, love, guide, educate firmly yet lovingly,” explained the wife of the Director of the Kulonprogo District Public Hospital. “And for her family she has to be a tough bastion that protects her family from wrong deeds, such as free sex, and the HIV/AIDS threat. The family is a basic and the smallest unit in society so that parents have to prepare their children before they go out of their house and socialize.
As a Consultant in the Pengasih sub district Posdaya (Family Empowerment Post) she added that a mother should be proactive and preventive in protecting her children from HIV/AIDS.
Awareness of National insight
Prof. Dr. Maria Farida Indrati, SH, MHum, a Professor in the school of law at the University of Indonesia states that a mother is obliged to teach her children about nationalism. Her role is very strategic in this matter.
According to her besides in school, nationalism teaching can be started very early, at home for example. Let the children know what kind of a nation our country is. So that a mother does not only protect, give good examples but also is a patron to her children. If every mother can teach her children about nationalism, she is very optimistic that this nation can achieve justice, wealth, welfare due to the good education that they receive. It will indeed take time. |
