Gender bias: Limitation for Indonesian Women and Professional Socio-Activity

Current issue on religious affair related to gender mainstreaming in Indonesia is the issuance of Haram or Forbiddance advisory recommendation on certain socio-individual activities and specifically addressed to Women.

Most definitions conform to the UN Economic and Social Council formally defined concept:

Mainstreaming a gender perspective is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. The ultimate goal is to achieve gender equality.

The recommendation of forbiddance covers 6 points of socio-individual activities as below:

1. Forbiddance for Women to be Motorbike Taxi driver

2. Forbiddance for Women to be take Motorbike Taxi to socio-religious engagement

3. Forbiddance of Hair Rebounding

4. Forbiddance of hair Dying for Women

5. Forbiddance for Muslim Actress to act in a movie as Non-Muslim

6. Forbiddance of making Pre-Wedding Picture

These recommendations were issued after East Java Forum Musyawarah Pondok Pesantren Putri (FMP3) or Muslim Boarding School for Girl Discussion Forum resumed their bahtsul masail on Thursday night (14/1/2010). These points of recommendation were justifying based on high possibility of defamation for women during of those activities. Though then ironically, this discussion forum was lead by group of men, thus the justification of recommendation become vaguely justifiable.

East Java FMP3’s spokesperson, Muhammad Nabiel Haroen claim that these recommendations are not strictly bounding. The implementation, however, will be by each and every individual. “Those who believe, we strongly encourage to do so. And those who doesn’t, we hope that they could understand and try to implement it”, said Nabiel.

Defining feminism can be challenging, but a broad understanding of it includes women and men acting, speaking and writing on women’s issues and rights and identifying social injustice in the status quo.

Cantata of Humanity

A Poem, A Piano, and a touch of Humanity on a Cantata

Stunned. When Aning Katamsi started to sang the first bar of the song and Ananda’s talented works on piano enchanted the whole auditorium. The piece called “Bibirku Bersujud di Bibirmu” from a poem by Hasan Aspahani. This piano works really caught me.

Ananda’s talent has changed this repertoire to a stunning works of piano, voice and dance choreographed by Chendra Panatan. Inspired by disaster that intensely hit Indonesia from time to time. But this piece was composed as Ananda’s deep concerns to the nation based on Hasan Aspahani’s poem inspired from the Tsunami in 2004 that devastated Aceh.

“Bibirku Bersujud di Bibirmu” immensely described a sorrow and a hope. Aning voice successfully brought the audience to a state of imagination, merged with every word of the lyrics with Chendra’s dance work that visualized the emotion of Hasan’s poem.

This really captured the spirit of Aceh people after the tsunami.

In every of his works, Ananda always bring a universal humanity behind his cantatas and rhapsodies.

The Forgotten Life of Malabar: West Java Earthquake

That afternoon, over a IDP* Camp in the south part of Bandung, the capital city of West Java, a skeptical look of this women caught my eyes. She’s a mother of three children; sharing their life with 200 other households in this over-crowded camp in Malabar Mountain.

Photo courtesy of Ilham Ariawan for European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office, Indonesia

Titin, that’s how she introduce herself to us. She withholds their future, knowing that her family had no place to go. Their house severely damaged from the earthquake of 7,0 Richter scale on September 29, 2009. Not only that, they cannot return to their village as the earthquake had made the land in their village vulnerable and prone to landslide that could be happen at any time, especially rainy seasons approaching to its peak.

Throughout the province, recorded approximately more than 200.000

Photo courtesy of Ilham Ariawan for European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office, Indonesia

houses damaged, covering more than 15 districts. This has made the scale of destruction is more massive than West Sumatra Earthquake that devastating more than 135.000 houses few weeks later.

While Titin struggling to live in the camp, international organizations do their best to improve her living situation as required by SPHERE – Humanitarian Standard Minimum Standard on Disaster Response. However, it’s been 6 weeks since the earthquake happened, their life is still yet to be improved, and the minimum standard seems becoming way too low. Donors and International organization now undergone advocacy on land for relocation, ignite a quick response from the local government to relocate these IDP’s to a better condition as their tents is no longer sufficient for a decent living. Proposals from Non-Government organization is now has been pre-selected for temporary shelter.

Titin’s life and other 200 households is just a glimpse of a forgotten life asthe media attention got West Sumatra earthquake as their focus. Not knowing that these IDP’s are in high need of International assistance. Media, once again prove their strength. Media has proof that its hand may redirect the eyes of the world.

Downfall of our Surau [Robohnya Surau Kami]

Robohnya Surau Kami or the Downfall of our Surau is actually one of a compilation of short story of socio-religious by Ali Akbar Navis, a prominent Indonesian author in 1950’s. His excellent short novel is “Robohnya Surau Kami” stories about culture bankruptcy in Minangkabau that first published in 1956.

The novel is a satire of a religious man that dedicated his whole life to worship God and forget that God also required human being balancing the heavenly and worldly act. The novel then became a monumental works of Indonesia’s literature.

The novel is very contrast with the reality. After the earthquake, people of Minangkabau don’t just sit and wait for aid. They work on it! Many of them have even started to rebuild their house or emergency shelter out of the rubbles of their remaining house.

There are 3 affected areas, Padang district, Padang Pariaman district, and Agam district. The pattern of damage here are patchy, in some area would be 10% damages and the neighboring village could rise up to 60% damages. Agam district suffers from secondary disaster of earthquake generated landslide.

People are depending to the river for access to clean water, latrines, and washing. The problem in urban area is that the earthquake has damaged the main PDAM (state owned water company) water intake that leaves its customer without water supply from its pipeline.

Non Food Items (hygiene kits, mosquito nets) are still on going to be distributed whilst the distribution of tarpaulin is no longer need. Most people already start to build their emergency shelter without waiting from government helps out of the rubbles and remaining material of their house and tarpaulin distribution is way too late.

The moral of A.A. Navis novel is, God has been given a land (Indonesia) that is prosperous. So don’t let your family suffer and not doing anything. Life is all about struggle and although the Surau is falling apart, life and religious affair will continue here without further a due and come in a perfect harmony.

West Sumatra Earthquake: The survivors from the Rubble

It’s always been amazing to hear the courageous story of the survivor of a disaster. Three years ago I was in Aceh for another disaster relief with the UN, and one of the drivers was a survivor and lost his wife and newborn right before his hand, washed away by the tsunami.  But I’m not going to tell about his story this time. It’s the story of these women and a young girl who survived and surviving the earthquake few weeks ago.

We were talking a time to send our report to the headquarter from a gentle invitation from IOM West Sumatra, the we met again dr. Zenaeda Nihill of IOM’s medical team who’s leading the Patients Transporting project. A very radiant medical doctor I must say, every conversation with her would be so much alive. Then out of nowhere we had plan an afternoon impromptu to M. Djamil Hospital in Padang city.

M. Djamil is a state-run hospital, in which its Cardiovascular Center collapsed and some of its wings got severely damaged by the earthquake. So dr. Zen got us to the Orthopedic Surgery ward and got some assistance from ward’s nurses.

There were several other patients here together with the quake casualties. Some got amputated, some got minor fracture, but most of them suffer from major fracture. Doctor from Russia and Indonesia work together hand-in-hand to safe their limb.

From this ward there was 1 survivor that caught my tears away, as what will she faced will be so much devastating and changed her life. For a morality reason her picture will not going to be published here. She was in Ambacang Hotel for a conference that afternoon when the earthquake happens. She jumped from the 3^rd floor and a concrete wall hit on her. The Search and Rescue team found her alive after 48 hours without food or water.

She suffered an orbital fracture and pelvic fracture. She lost her sight ever since, her ability to talk is decreasing as well as coordination of body limbs.

Photo courtesy of dr. Zenaida Nihill, IOM West Sumatra

The second ward we visited is the children care ward. Her name is Indah, a 9 year’s old little girl. She suffered a serious fracture on both legs, as a metal fence fell off on her. She has passed some surgery, and few other series of surgery to fix her legs. A metal fixator has been installed in her both legs.

These patience’ will face a serious healing process that involved series of surgery, physiotherapy sessions, and what they urgently need is psychosocial support. A visit after now and then, gentle touch and light talks will help them to recover as their life will never be the same again.

West Sumatra Earthquake: A Heart Wrenching Situation

2, 5 hours trip from the capital city of West Sumatra, Padang to neighboring district of Padang Pariaman. Pariaman is a coastal district that reported to be most affected area from the earthquake, last 30 September 2009 in West Sumatra.

As we drive along the main road, entering Padang Pariaman, in humanitarian point of view the affected area is patchy. Some are ranging of 10% of houses damaged, and some could rise to up to 50% damages.

Drove further down off the main road to Kudu Gantiang regency, the damages start to look more severe than previous regencies we passed along the way. Road was cracked especially along the slope in which some of the slope deceased by the landslide, big rocks covering some of the road this may cause aid distribution truck stuck for a while before they can continue their way to the distribution point.

photo courtesy of Timo Idema, IOM West Sumatra

We finally made to a village or locally know Nagari of Sialang. Asphalt road changed to rocky in a hilly road. With kind 4×4 vehicle assistance of IOM we managed to stop before continuing our way by foot up to the affected area up in the hill for about 4 KM.

On the side road, school and house were not only damaged but some were completely collapsed from the earthquake. Based on ground assessment, housing in this area collapsing due to poorly constructed houses, as most of the house inadequately constructed without strong concrete frame and beam-less, which during the earthquake enable the building wall rocking and finally collapsing.

We stop by at one of the house. The only remaining part of the house is only the roof, topping the 120 cm high concrete left. There are 7 people in this house and as the temporary shelter the built in front of the remains out of tarpaulin only enough for the men, the rest of the family member life under the remaining roof.

Photo courtesy of Timo Idema, IOM West Sumatra

We continue our visit. Road were start become extremely rough as tons of soil and its vegetation covering up the ground. Climb up and hopping from hardened dirt to another, we can still see some of the remaining house from afar. Most of humanitarian aid here weren’t distributed here. The survivors have to come all the way down to the nearest village to pick up the aid and climb up carrying 5 kg of food item aid.

We were trying to go further as we reach in the middle of the landslide slop to the affected area, but we decided to return as we found water in between the hill which might harm the team if we try to go further, as the land is still fragile and prone to another landslide.

It’s a heart-anguishing experience and yet inspiring. Seeing how people coping the situation quickly and continue their life back to the normal condition in minimal situation.

Langkawi: A Land of Tale, A Cloud to Touch

Have you ever touched the cloud? I have! It was 710 m above the sea level and I was standing in the peak of a mountain called Mount Mat Chinchang in Langkawi Island of Sultanate of Kedah.

Langkawi is an archipelago of 99 islands (an extra 5 temporary islands are revealed at low tide) in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia, which is adjacent to the Thai border. The island that full of legends, as most of the village such as Dayang Bunting, Kuah, Kota Sarang Semut and many other has it very own legend.

The trip started by a 45 minutes drive passing the capital city of Kedah, Alor Setar and Kuah, to the other end of the island. As we arriving to the Mount Mat Chinchang feet, a tourism village welcomes all visitors by providing various services from massage, souvenirs, and foods.

The trip to the peak continued by using cable car that approximately takes 20 minutes. A steep climb started after 5 minutes of the trip and stop at the first station, in which in 652, 5 m above the sea level. Fresh airs surely fill-up our lungs as we get off from the cart.

Hop in back to the cart, gone up to the peak. Right on the top of the mount Mat Chinchang, 710 m above the sea level, right where the cloud mist gently touch your nose while enjoying 360⁰ view of Langkawi Island. And in one fine day we could enjoy the sunset from its top.

Also from the top, Langkawi Sky Bridge is located; a 125m-long curved pedestrian cable-stayed bridge. The bridge consists of one or more columns (normally referred to as towers or pylons), with cables supporting the bridge deck. From the sky bridge, the fast green forest underneath of Machincang Cambrian Geoforest Park soothing our eyes. In which one of three main conservation areas in Langkawi Geopark; Kilim Karst Geoforest Park and Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest park (Island of the Pregnant Maiden Lake). These three parks are the most popular tourism area within Langkawi Geopark, that UNESCO given World Geopark status in June 2007.

In one of Bollywood movie was shot in Langkawi Sky Bridge. The movie is a remake of the blockbuster 1978 film, Don. Don – The Chase Begins Again (Bollywood remake) was shot at this place.

Katura: A Man of Passion for Batik Heritage

Dazzling colors of red, indigo, green from the glass cabinet surely attract every eye to look inside it. It was a very bright morning in Trusmi area, Cirebon, 297 km east of Jakarta. A friendly smile ease the sweat from the sun heat that morning, after a long way walk to find this very workshop, Batik Katura.

It was the owner himself, Mr. Katura AR, the owner of Batik Katura that has been in the business since 40 years ago, run from generation to generation. The excitement start when Pak Katura begin to explain the process of how the batik made.

For a piece of handwriting batik could take almost 2 months to finish. Its not an easy thing, from patterning, painting, dyeing, painting, and dyeing until the result meet the expected color.

What comes into my mind is of course that is these processes are eco-friendly?

And the answer is yes, the wax and the water are reusable.

Born in Trusmy, a village where he dwell now, 58 years ago, dedicated his life and his passion for batik work with the skill he learn from his mother. From his passion and dedication, University of Hawaii grant him Honoris Causa in Master Of Art.

During the monetary crisis in 1997, political and economy situation inspires him to create a philosophical batik masterpiece in 1997 and its realization was acknowledged by Indonesian Record Museum in 2005 as the largest batik work. This batik work depicted the story of Mahabarata, where the Pandawa live within the vana or forest that turn into a prosper country after series of tribulation. The story that he painted in 9 m x 2 m clothes was a hope for Indonesia, that Indonesia will be a country that prosperous and stand the test of time.

Approximately the word is first recorded in English in the Encyclopædia Britannica of 1880, in which it is spelled battik. Batik is cloth which uses the hand written wax-resist dyeing technique. The modernity brought the batik into industrial phase. The complication of the coloring for example, these days producing batik with natural coloring substance is slowly abandoned by most of batik painters.

Due to modern advances in the textile industry the term has also been used for fabrics which incorporates the traditional batik patterns although not necessarily produced using the wax-resist dyeing techniques, in which the Government will pass a regulation on Indonesian Batik branding.