UNAIR NEWS– A woman figure named Kartini, the pioneer of women’s awakening, fought for women’s emancipation in Indonesia.After a century, Kartini’s thoughts remain relevant today.They have made improvements, but women still face some challenges.
In Professors™ Innovation Exposition held in Campus C 51¶¯Âþ (), Tuesday, April 24, Professor of gender sociology, Prof.Emy Susanti discussed about Kartini’s point of view in upholding women™s values, the achieved and not yet achieved ones.
Kartini fought for three things.First, fighting ignorance through schools, getting education, and skill.Second, fight poverty by contributing socially and economically.Third, combating injustice in women by opposing polygamy, forced marriage, and seclusion.
“The two things are achieved, women are educated and socially contribute.The third point is yet achieved.And that’s what the UNAIR Study and Gender Center is all about, ” she explained.
On that occasion, Prof.Emy also highlighted the domestic and public spheres that cannot be one hundred percent separated.Both, according to her, can be done simultaneously.
“Choosing to do domestic work or a career, it’s just a stereotype thoughts that has been passed on to us since a long time ago.For example, cooking.Cooking is a skill and a profession, not necessarily done by woman, ” she said.“Especially nowadays.Men can enter the domestic sector.Instead, women enter the public sector, “added the woman who is the only professor of gender sociology in Indonesia.
According to her, it happens in Indonesia, women are much more advance. They can be highly educated and they can be entrepreneurs.They can also defend the gender inequality.Technological advancement allow everything to be done at home.Therefore, continued Emy, women can participate in any field.
In this millenial era, she added, the most prominent characteristic that occurred in the community isconfidence,high expectationandachievement orientation.
“Our challenges is to make men understand this development so they will not confine women to the domestic sector only.Women are not hampered to work, but are still burdened with domestic work and duties.Men have to come along, “said the Chairman of Association for Women’s Studies Center or Gender and Children of Indonesia (ASWGI).
The head of the Sociology Master™s program FISIP added that all discussions on women’s equality should not only be followed by women.Men also have to participate.In this regard, participation between women and men should be balanced.(*)
Author: Binti Q. Masruroh
Editor: Feri Fenoria
