The Indonesian Women's Coalition (Koalisi Perempuan Indonesia or KPI), the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perkumpulan untuk Pemilu dan Demokrasi or Perludem), and the Center for Political Studies at the University of Indonesia (Pusat Kajian Politik Universitas Indonesia or Puskapol UI) held a dialogue forum for women politicians and civil society. Achieving a minimum of 30% representation of women in parliament and to promote the substantive participation of women in politics are the goals.
"Through this, we are striving to strengthen the work of women politicians to solidify their positions in parliament. This will be a good starting point, and further discussion and consolidation efforts will enhance their confidence and enthusiasm," said Mike Verawati Tangka, the Secretary-General of KPI, in her address in Jakarta on October 11th.
Mike explained that the forum with the slogan "Dengar Perempuan [Listen to Women]" aims to formulate four major issues. Firstly, the protection of women's rights. Secondly, environment, energy, and climate change. Thirdly, governance and participation. Fourthly, peace and security.
Perludem’s representation, Heroik Mutaqin Pratama expressed that the struggle of women to increase female representation in parliament still requires collective collaboration. He emphasized that gender equality and women's empowerment are at the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs).
"Women's leadership is meant to support progress, inclusivity, and the well-being of society. Our hope is that through this forum, we can collaborate with the goal of increasing women representation in the 2024 Elections," said Heroik.
Hurriyah, the Executive Director of Puskapol UI, hopes that women politicians and civil society can discuss issues that can become a basis for political ideas. These issues should not only be for campaign purposes but also for advocacy within parliament.
"This is very important because based on our observation, throughout this year, there has been a tendency, a gap between politics and civil society," explained Hurriyah.
The forum was attended by women politicians representing political parties participating in the 2024 Elections and representatives of civil society organizations across various issues. These two groups engaged in a dialogue so that advocacy issues from civil society could be incorporated into the campaigns of politicians during the 2024 Elections campaign phase. If these women politicians are elected, issues connected to voters during the campaign can potentially become legislative policies. []
Translated by Catherine Natalia
