Jakarta – While President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has promised a more prominent role for women in his next Cabinet, one of his aides says it is still too early for women to hold more strategic posts.
"One of the most important criteria for a female minister is that she is able to become a pillar of the nation," Democratic Party deputy chairman Achmad Mubarok told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. "For that, it is essential to have women head up the women's affairs ministry or social affairs ministry."
Asked whether he thought women should be given more responsibility by being appointed to lead strategic ministries such as defense and law, he said, "Not yet".
The current Cabinet boasts only four women: Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, who is also the acting coordinating minister for the economy, Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu, Health Minister Siti Fadila Supari, and State Minister for Women's Empowerment Meutia Farida Hatta Swasono. Yudhoyono looks likely to keep Sri Mulyani, Mari and Siti in their current posts.
One prospective call-up to the Cabinet is Evita Legowo, the director general for oil and gas at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, which she is being tipped to head up.
Another prospective new minister is National Awakening Party (PKB) legislator Nursyahbani Katjasungkana, who is widely supported by civil society groups to become the justice and human rights minister.
Usman Hamid, coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), is one of those urging a call-up for Nursyahbani.
"Her track record shows that she deserves to be named the new justice and human rights minister," Usman said. "She initiated many laws to protect human rights, such as the one on domestic violence."
The Democratic Party's Achmad said even though he respected Nursyahbani's credentials as a champion of human rights, now was not the time for her to become the minister.
He added he did not see any worthy female ministerial candidate coming from his party. "We have a lot of women in our party, but they're still just activists, not prominent central board leaders," he said.
Puan Maharani, the daughter of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, has also been touted as a possible minister, following recent political maneuvering by her father, Taufik Kiemas.
Taufik has been cosying up to the President's coalition after the Democratic Party backed his bid to be People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker.
Puan is in with a chance at being either the women's empowerment minister or the social affairs minister. Achmad agreed Puan was a likely choice, but only to "serve as mere political accommodation".
Golkar deputy secretary-general Nurul Arifin said women needed to be given more strategic posts. "I don't think it's appropriate anymore to pigeonhole women into ministries dealing solely with women's or social affairs," she said.
Nurul added she believed Nursyahbani was capable of becoming either the defense or justice and human rights minister.
She also pointed out Golkar had two women worthy of Cabinet posts. "Bu Syarwan Hamid and Dr. Pratiwi Sudharmono deserve to be made ministers," she said.
Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) political analyst Siti Zuhro, meanwhile, said Regional Representatives Council (DPD) secretary-general Siti Nurbaya deserved to be the next home minister. (hdt)