Kartinis of Papua: Papuan Women need decent markets and freedom from violence

Bintang Papua, 18 April 2010
Abridged in translation

Papuan women who are longing to be able to trade in decent traditional markets as promised by the government now regard this as nothing more than a dream. Government representatives have been quoted as saying that women selling their wares in the centre of the city, in front of the Galael shopping mall are regarded a blight on the appearance of the city.

Three years ago, the governor of the province of Papua promised that he would build a decent market for women traders but nothing has happened.

On the 131st anniversary of Kartini Day, it is a good occasion to reflect on the second class status of women in Papua.

[Kartini was a Javanese woman born of aristocratic parents who during her short life (1879 - 1904) took remarkably important measures in favour of women's rights. Having enjoyed a good education and become a fluent reader and writer of Dutch, she took the initiative to set up a school for women at a time when this was unheard of. She died early in
1904 a few days after the birth of her first child. 21st April was designated as Kartini Day during the presidency of Sukarno.]

The disregard for women's needs has led to a move in civil society to set up Solpap - Solidarity for Indigenous Papuan Women to Set up Markets - which has been raising money in small donations to build a market.

Solpap has prepared banners for use in street demonstrations with an uncomplimentary caricature of the provincial governor. The caricature shows the governor with women sitting beside him on the ground.

Unfortunately nothing has been done to bring charges against Solpap as this might trigger a wave of protest, creating a new problem. There has been a decline in street protests recently which means the absence of checks and balances which are necessary for any democracy. The demonstrations have been aimed at criticising Governor Bas Suebu for not keeping his promise. The demonstrators are calling on the governor to give a written guarantee (to keep his promise) and say they will not disperse until he has done so in writing.

The failure as yet to build a decent market place for women traders is an indication of the lack of government attention of the needs of women.The needs of women have been overwhelmed by a number of other issues such as building a toll road which is regarded as being necessary to encourage outside investors to come to Papua.

But the issue raised by Solpap is just a small part of the problems being encountered by Papuan women. which is unforgivable, given the need to fill the yawning gap between conditions of the Papuan people as compared to those of the people who have come from outside. Outsiders are far more successful than the indigenous people in business affairs, managerial work and many other things. Building a decent market for Papuan women traders is just a small part of the problem.

Another is the widespread problem of domestic violence which continues unabated for cultural reasons; such as gender discrimination and the dominant position of males in Papuan society. However, reporting cases of domestic violence has been on the increase; it is something that occurs at all levels of society, including among people who have enjoyed an advanced education.

In the recent period there has been an increase in the number of cases of domestic violence that have been reported to the police, which is a positive factor, and the reporting of such cases in the media will help to make this a public issue.

In the countryside, there is a strong tendency to believe that men can do what they like and beating your wife is regarded just as part of tradition. Men can simply leave home and their wives, leaving them to make their their own living. Papuan women regard marriage as an institution that benefits the male who simply go off to the brothels. or decide to marry immigrant women who they regard as being more beautiful than Papuan women. The number of Papuan men who have taken immigrant women as their wives has been increasing. But when an indigenous Papuan women gets married to an immigrant man, the offspring are not recognised as being indigenous. But the MRP has taken no action on this matter because they regard the patriarchal system as being legitimate.

The problems being confronted by Papuan women are similar to those encoutered by Kartini 131 years ago. Papuan Kartinis are facing many critical problems as she did and there will surely be many women who will support anyone who steps forward to take the lead. The author believes that Papuan women will come forward in support of such a movement.

It could be even more powerful, given that Papuan women have shown themselves to be very strong-minded in caring for the family, much more so than the men who spend their days in idleness, drinking and othe such pursuits.

We hope that people will pay attention to the fate of Papuan women to help them onto the path of democracy, emancipation, pro gender rights and anti-discrimination.

Lamadi de Lamato, Director of the La-Keda Institute, Papua. Political Consultant on Local Political Issues.