Jakarta – Indonesian women stepped up the demand to gain 30 percent of the seats in the House of Representatives by marching through Jakarta's main thoroughfare Sunday.

State Minister for Women's Empowerment Meutia Farida Swasono joined as many as 200 women from various NGOs in their walk from the National Monument square to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle.

The rally participants wore headbands which read "30 percent for women" while a huge banner called for 30 percent female representation in political bills "to eliminate injustice and discrimination in Indonesia". The rally leader, Lolit, shouted: "30 percent of the quota, right now!" as quoted by detik.com newsportal.

Article 6 (1) of the 2003 General Election Law says every political party may allocate 30 percent of their House and local council seats to women. There are now calls to make the minimum 30 percent female quota mandatory, rather than a voluntary requirement, in the bill on general elections currently being deliberated at the House.

Activists believe the bill is not strong enough to make parties allocate 30 percent of their seats to women.

Deputy chairwoman of the National Commission on Women, Ninik Rahayu, told The Jakarta Post the implementation of the 30 percent minimum quota was still being hampered by the patriarchal values strongly embedded in political parties.

"The current political system does not penalize parties that fail to fulfill the minimum quota," she said over the phone. "Parties often place female candidates at the bottom of the list."

Ninik said the minimum quota should be applied not only for legislature candidates but also for party memberships.

Currently, women make up some 11 percent of the House members and 21 percent in the Regional Representatives Council (DPD).

Ninik said women should be given the opportunity to develop their political and managerial skills, therefore less qualified candidates should be considered, as they would develop over time.

Jeirry Sumampow, of the People's Voter Education Network, supported the affirmative action but said female candidates were still behind male candidates in terms of quality.

"Affirmative action for women is needed so they can have the same opportunities to be elected into legislatures as men," he told the Post. "It's quite difficult to expect parties to improve the skills and capabilities of their female members to compete with male candidates."

Jeirry said women's organizations outside the parties should provide political training for women. (rff)