Suherdjoko and Slamet Susanto, Semarang, Yogya – More than 30 female journalists in Semarang, with the support of Central Java Deputy Governor Rustriningsih, declared Tuesday their opposition to polygamous and unregistered marriages.
The declaration was made in a get-together commemorating Kartini Day, which fell on April 21. Kartini was a women's rights pioneer in Indonesia. However Kartini, a daughter of a regent born in 1879, also failed to avoid tradition and entered a polygamous marriage.
"We invite the public to oppose polygamous and unregistered or contractual marriages under which women are usually treated unfairly," Shinta Ardhany of Radio 68H, who was backed up by Endang Istanti of MetroTV, said.
The government's plan to tighten regulation of polygamous marriages and ban unregistered and contractual marriages has sparked nationwide controversy.
Some believe the government should not interfere in the private lives of its citizens, while others say the plan should be strengthened with a revision of the 1974 marriage law.
Clad in traditional Javanese attire, the journalists said they had to struggle for equality on their own. "Women, please don't be dependent on others... being reporters is not an awkward profession any longer for women," Shinta said.
Meanwhile, former Kebumen regent Rustriningsih gave her full support to the movement against polygamy. The journalists presented the seedling of a mahogany tree as a symbol of women's toughness and a flower arrangement as a symbol of softness to her.
Earlier the women launched their action on Jl. Pahlawan, where they distributed flowers to motorists. Their actions gained the support of police officers. To mark Kartini day, female officers wore Javanese kebaya dresses, while policemen wore beskap.
"The emancipation of women has been promoted by Ibu (Madame) Kartini. Men and women are now equal," Adj. Sr. Umbar Wijaya, head of West Java traffic police, said.
Meanwhile in Yogyakarta, with the commemoration of Kartini Day in mind, the city's housemaids declared the establishment of the Housemaids Organization Congress on Sunday.
The congress aims to provide housemaids with a tool to struggle for improved welfare. "Under the congress we want an improvement of our welfare through the deliberation of government policy. It's important because housemaids are always considered second class workers," coordinator of the congress Buyung Ridwan Tanjung said on Tuesday.
"Ironically there was a regional regulation on housemaids deliberated 10 years ago, but no follow-up has been made yet," Buyung added.