President hopes more women included in future cabinets

Antara News, Monday, November 30, 2009 14:47 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has expressed hope that more women would be included in the cabinets of future governments.

Speaking at a function to observe the 10th anniversary of National Commission of Women (Komnas Perempuan) at the Agency for Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) auditorium here on Monday, the president said out of 34 cabinet ministers, ten should be women.

In the second phase of United Indonesia Cabinet there are five female ministers namely Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, State Minister for National Development Planning Board Armida Alisjahbana, Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih, Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu, and State Minister for Women Empowerment Linda Gumelar.

"There are actually five female ministers in the present United Indonesia Cabinet but the ratio is still insufficient. In the future there should be at least ten female ministers out of 34 in the cabinet," the president said.

He added that five female ministers in the present cabinet was at least a good beginning to empower the the Indonesian women in the cabinet.

The head of state also gave a high appreciation to more women in the parliament, diplomatic circle, and business circle.

President Yudhoyono said that to the Indonesian women empowerment was not merely the responsibility of the government, also of the people at large and the women themselves.

"Respect whatever role is expected by the women, and view the women as the human resources capital who should be given the same opportunity as male," the president said.

But the president added that although Indonesian had adopted the Human Rights universal values and women rights, the traditional values of Indonesian women should not be ignored.

The head of state the Human Rights universal values should be harmonized with traditional, cultural, and religious values.

"Our task is to harmonize the universal values with our traditional, cultural and religious values in order to avoid conflict and collision among them," the president said.

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All woman power - Australian Treasurer Wayne Swan (second right) talks with Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati (right),Trade Minister Marie Elka Pangestu (second left) and head of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Armida Alisjahbana before a bilateral meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday. (JP/R.Berto Wedhatama)