Novia D. Rulistia, Jakarta – Twenty-three years after Indonesia ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the country is still moving slowly toward fully enforcing women's rights.

The quadrennial CEDAW committee session held from July to August this year in New York pointed said Indonesia had not applied all of the required conditions of CEDAW in its legal systems.

Indonesia ratified the convention through Law No.7/1984. This law recognizes the problem discrimination against women and provides the basis for realizing equality between women and men through ensuring women's equal access to and equal opportunities in political and public life, including the right to vote and to stand for election, as well as access to education, health and employment.

Comprising 17,508 islands, Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state. With a population of more than 234 million people, of which more than 50 percent are woman, Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous country.

This huge number of women in our population is not yet well represented in many key sectors of life in Indonesia.

Collective non-governmental organizations said during the CEDAW session there were at least three important issues related to gender discrimination at the root of almost every gender discrimination action: women's impoverishment, regional regulations, and the roles of women in politics.

Economic conditions, along with a lack of access to education, are the most prominent factors usually blamed for the high number of Indonesian women who end up working in the informal sector inside and outside of Indonesia.

With no formal legal protection, these women are vulnerable to abuse at home and abroad. Another matter the country faces daily is domestic violence against women.

In May this year, Tasbirah, 21, who had just given birth to her second child, experienced her husband's anger when she refused to have sex with him. Tasbirah, whose husband set her on fire, suffered severe burns, but insisted she could not stay in the hospital because she and her family could not afford the bill.

Shortly after the attack on Tasbirah made headlines, another similar case occurred. Ida Farida was slashed with a sharpened object by her husband. The incident culminated in a number of quarrels between the couple over the family's income. Her unemployed husband fled after he attacked his wife, who worked an unsalaried civil servant in Bogor, West Java.

According to data compiled by the Mitra Perempuan Women's Crisis Center, there were 248 cases of domestic violence that had not been resolved up to September 2007. In 2006, the center received 287 domestic violence reports, down from 395 reports in 2005.

"It proves that society is now more open to viewing the cases as crimes, which makes Law No.23/2004 on eradication of violence against women become more effective," the center's head, Rita Kalibonso said.

On one hand, the high number of cases shows that many women in Indonesia are still greatly influenced by the patriarchal culture. On the other hand, it shows people have a stronger public awareness around this issue.

The State Minister for Women's Empowerment, Meutia Hatta, said the high number of domestic violence case reported in the country showed most women were still far from empowerment, especially in the economic sector.

She said it was not only women who needed empowerment, but also men, as domestic violence involved the capability of handling household financial problems and other troubles together. Once a couple misses this approach, their relationship might stand at the brink of destruction.

Activist and legislator Nursyahbani Katjasungkana said the government had not done enough for the prevention of domestic violence or to provide services for violence victims, while economic hardship alone was just a trigger.

Another important issue in need of further attention is the involvement of women in legislation.

Since the Political Party Law that requires 30 percent of a political party's membership be filled by women was enacted in 2002, not all parties sitting at the House of Representatives have fulfilled the provision.

Of a total 550 House members during the 2004 to 2009 period, only 61 were women, or 9 percent. They were there to represent the more than 150 million women in Indonesia.

Experts said the parties supported the idea of women filling seats in the legislature, but there were no clear agendas from the parties to see the idea become reality. The subject of women is often intentionally omitted during discussions on democracy.

Although the demand for a 30 percent quota in parties has not been accomplished, there are already seven parties at the House comprising women as members.

The parties include Golkar, the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the United Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the People's Awakening Party (PKB), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the Democratic Party (PD).

Several female legislators said despite there being women politicians in the House, they were not well placed as decision-makers and the majority of them have failed to facilitate the implementation of the convention.

The existence of women in politics is significant in order to generate more regulations to emphasize the rights of children and women.

Eva Kusuma Wandari from PDI-P said this condition could not be blamed on women only. She said their parties had not put gender equality on their agendas.

During the 62 years of Indonesia's journey of independence, the nation has seen only one woman lead the country, and Megawati Soekarnoputri has declared she will run again in the 2009 presidential election.

In the legal sector, the Constitutional Court rejected an appeal in October this year made by Muhammad Insa who wanted polygamy restrictions, stipulated in the 1974 Marriage Law, eased.

The law states a husband can marry another woman if the wife agrees and if his wife cannot have children or is unable to fulfill her "wifely duties".

Some still observe this as an unfair solution saying the law should have contained specific clauses about the responsibilities of men who abandon their wives and children, or who practice polygamy.

However, the authorities, at least, have tried to protect its citizens, especially married women, by rejecting a request to re-evaluate the law.

In 2007, all countries in the world held a Stand Up and Speak Out program that highlighted the importance of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015. Three out of the eight goals are related to women, including gender equality, empowering women and maternal health.

The World Health Organization reported that Indonesia's maternal mortality was still high due to lack of access to emergency services and the provision of obstetrical equipment.

Amid the on-going disproportional treatment toward women, there is still time in 2007 for women to show their capabilities and to stand on their own feet and speak their mind.

Some 2,000 women from eight provinces, all female heads of households, gathered in Jakarta last October to attend the National Meeting of Female Heads of Households Empowerment (PEKKA).

The PEKKA program, organized by the National Commission on Violence Against Women, provides widows, divorcees, single mothers, and wives of missing or permanently ill husbands, material assistance. It teaches the steps required for women to be able to rely on themselves.

Some have succeeded to be businesswomen and today some even lead villages. The program's mission is to help women, who are out of sight and powerless against discrimination and violence. The program wants to help all Indonesian women better recognize and understand their rights.

It is estimated there are around six million female heads of households throughout the country. Women have proven they can become the backbones of their families. They can reach the top in fields of science and engineering, law and medicine.

Three Indonesian female scientists were awarded by UNESCO and cosmetics producer L'Oreal Indonesia for their separate research projects into the preservation and maintenance of marine species and bio-degradable plastics.

These women are Uun Yanuhar from Brawijaya University, Malang, East Java; Munti Yuhana from Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) in Bogor, West Java; and Wiratni from Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Yogyakarta. They all said they hoped their projects would be able to contribute to people's livelihoods generally.

Indonesian feminist Valentina Sagala said, "Women have their rights, and Indonesia has recognized them. It's just that the country hasn't completely respected and fulfilled women's rights yet."