Wasti Atmodjo, Denpasar – To coincide with Mother's Day on Monday, women legislative candidates from different political parties in Bali banded together to create the Inter-Party Women's Forum (FPLP) in the hope of increasing the political leverage of women.
The forum, which uses the motto 'No Woman No Change', aims to increase the number of women lawmakers, said FPLP spokesperson Yanti Tiku Rante.
She said women candidates who get voted into legislative positions in the 2009 election would motivate and support other women candidates in the forum to continue in politics in hopes of securing them seats in the 2014 election.
Candidates who do not make it, she said, would continue to fight for gender equality in domestic, health, organizational and other issues.
Head of the FPLP Ni Putu Suprapti Santy Sastra said the forum further reached out to women outside the island. "This forum represents all women who are members of political parties, including those in other municipalities and cities," she said.
The idea for the forum was conceived in August through meetings and trainings. It planned to have meetings every Friday, she added.
The forum, she went on, was an important part of fulfilling a 2008 law that requires 30 percent of representatives in political parties and legislative positions be female, a law that parties in Bali and most other provinces have failed to meet.
Only 246 of the 806 candidates running for the provincial legislative seats and 180 of the 581 candidates vying for Denpasar municipality legislative seats are female.
"That's not to say this is a small amount, but it's important to improve and maintain the quality of women legislative candidates," she said.
Suprapti, who is a legislative candidate for the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS), further said the forum aimed to eliminate the stereotype that women are not tough enough for the job.
"Through the FPLP, we will prove that women can be both caring and gentle as well as tough and firm. We will unite our aims and our commitment to the struggle on gender issue," she said.
The forum will hold forums in every electoral area of each of the legislative candidates, where they will introduce themselves and their programs.
"2008 is the year of the rise of women. We are ready to fight for our programs and work ethics against the men," she said. She added that the funding for the forum's programs would come from members.
FPLP Secretary I Putu Sawitri said Mother's Day was the perfect opportunity to inaugurate the establishment of the forum because the day marks the appreciation of womanhood. She hoped the inauguration would inspire other women candidates in other provinces to do the same.
Those present for the inauguration included former chairman of the Bali General Election Commission (KPU) Anak Agung Gede Wisnu Murti, Denpasar KPU Chief Gede Ray Misno and Regional Representative Council (DPD) member from Bali Ida Ayu Agung Mas.
Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika, in a statement that was read out by an official representative, welcomed the creation of the forum, calling it a new medium for women to empower themselves politically.