W O M A N

To celebrate International Women's Day, the UN Women Australia facilitated a gender discussion which invite panel members: Julie Bishop (Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade), Tanya Plibersek (Minister for Health), Julie McKay (Ex Director of UN Women Australia) with ABC Presenter, Virginia Hausseger as the Moderator. I watched the discussion thru ABC TV News yesterday. It was interesting, thus entertaining, specially watching the debate between two smart women, Julie Bishop and Tanya Plibersek. I like them both. Julie is always aggressive but she delivered her strong arguments and criticism with her charming style. Whereas Tanya looks so firm, tough and serious, but also we can still see her feminine and sensitivity when she talked about difficulty being a women in politics.  

As much as I enjoyed watching the debate, I also learned on how those women from this developed country defending their arguments and claims, using not only their beauty and speaking skill, but mostly their analytical skills and logic. It is also surprising me knowing that not only women in developing country like Indonesia still struggling with their gender roles, inequity and inequality, but to certain degree, women in Australia today are also still facing similar challenges. So I believe, we, Indonesian women, are not too left behind :) 

I quoted below on Tanya Plibersek's concern about one example on the unfairness made up by our social structure (in both Indonesia and Australia) about women's dual role in both professional and housemother/wife.  

"No man has ever, ever been asked to choose between a satisfying career and a family they love. No man has been asked to explain why they don't have a family, like the Prime Minister, like Julie....Sure life changes but the idea that we have to explain all the why we made a choice or even have this debate is unfair and old fashioned."

If you are a woman, how about your condition today? Are you still struggling the same? 

I have many female girlfriends, they are still single (by their choice) and have good career. Some even have high level position at the company or organization they work. Some of them are the breadwinner for their family. Something that I used to admired about them. But I also see, how we sometimes too focus to see their unmarried status as their weakness and neglect the fact that they do have good career and produce lots of fruitful things for the community and their family. How many of us have contributed to make those women's lives become inconvenient by keep asking them about their choice and decision? In my own story, many of my friends and families are still questioning why I decided not to have my own children. Seeing me and my decision as something weird, intolerable and need to be fix. In contrast, we may see and feel different thing when those decision or situation occurred to our male friends and brothers. We tend to easily accept whatever their decisions on their life: marry or being a happy single-man, without seeing it as they have some significant weakness.

To see Indonesia treats their women fairly might still far to be happening. But I would encourage us to start it by treating more fairly and with respect to the women surrounding you, your wife, your girlfriend, your siblings and relatives,  or your female co-workers. This could be by just doing an easiest thing: accept and don't doubt whatever their condition today. Without digging further, keep asking them, instruct them, and/or confusing them with their status or decision that they've made. Challenge what they've done, but not stressing on what is embedded into their life as a woman.

If you are a man, be a feminist without loosing your masculinity, and support us to achieve many great things in life. If a woman happy, it is the happiness of all at home. A healthy woman at home (physic and mentally), then we will also have a healthy nation. 

Happy women's day for all women, in wherever you are! We are precious!