The Side Effects of Putting Women Second

November 25 is commemorated not only as National Teachers' Day but has also been designated as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The United Nations General Assembly established it with the aim of raising awareness of the fact that most women in the world are victims of harassment, violence, and even rape in various settings.

In Indonesia itself, cases of violence against women continue to occur. And perhaps Ministerial Regulation (Permendikbud) Number 30 of 2021 on the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence in Higher Education, which was recently enacted, can be expected to become a gift of protection for women, especially female students, under higher education institutions. Even so, the regulation has drawn many pros and cons from various circles.

Basically, all forms of violence against women cannot be separated from the existence of patriarchal culture in society. It is a culture that places men as the dominant and central figures in the social system. This culture often invites various negative stigmas against women in society. Women are labelled weak, unequal to men, and tend to be treated as second-class.

In fact, beyond physical violence, women are also unconsciously forced to accept that their rights and freedoms are taken away. Society's perception of the ideal woman falls on a woman who is skilled in domestic household affairs, as in the Javanese saying masak, macak and manak (cooking, dressing up, and giving birth). As a result, women who work and create outside of that are considered to neglect their duties. Educated women are also often regarded as violating their nature and are looked down upon.

With the passing of time, patriarchal culture has begun to shift but has not disappeared. Nowadays many women have achieved things outside domestic affairs. Some women are able to take important positions in various sectors. However, there is a new challenge that women must face, namely discrimination.

Brigham (1991) defined discrimination as an effort to treat a particular group differently. Discrimination against women occurs in many respects, including in the professional world. For example, in the military sphere, candidates for the Women's Army Corps (Kowad) and prospective wives of soldiers were required to undergo virginity tests. This rule had been in force for years before it was finally abolished some time ago.

Another fact is that discrimination against women also occurs in the world of politics. The UN Committee on Equal Opportunities states that the minimum number of women members in a parliament is 30 percent of the total membership. This number was set so that women can take an active part in decision-making and social policy, especially concerning women's welfare.

This statement later became the basis for the formation of Article (1) of Law Number 12 of 2003 concerning women's representation among members of parliament. However, in reality, to this day the rule has not been fully implemented in various regions of Indonesia. Women's representation and participation in legislative bodies is still regarded as mere formality, not as a need that the public truly requires.

In addition, discrimination against women also occurs in government institutions. According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) for 2016, the percentage of female and male civil servants is indeed almost balanced. However, the female civil servants are concentrated only in education and health personnel (which are regarded as safe zones for women). Meanwhile, the number of women in information technology, architecture, science, and structural positions is still far below that of men. As a result, women's representation in those fields is not optimal.

These examples of discrimination give a general picture of women's position in life, especially in employment. Strategic positions apparently are not yet friendly to women. If this continues, then many of women's great talents and abilities will be wasted because they receive no support. Women's aspirations will disappear, and their participation in various fields will not develop. And all of that will only further limit women's contribution to improving national development.

For that reason, cooperation from all parties is needed to address this issue of discrimination against women. The government and society are expected to provide free space for women to create. They should open the widest possible opportunities for women to take part in making every policy.

The role of the family as the main promoter in building women's self-confidence is expected to provide full support for the success of every woman. All forms of discrimination against women cannot be justified for any reason. Because in truth, many talented women need to be facilitated. And many great women deserve appreciation. 

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