Speaker from Puskapol UI at the workshop (Jubi)
Jayapura, 24/3 (Jubi) – A study conducted by the Center of Political Studies (Puskapol) at the University of Indonesia (UI) found that six provinces in Indonesia, including Papua and West Papua have less female involvement in the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) and the General Elections Commission (KPU).
According to researcher, Ana Margaret, cultural barriers, lack of electoral, geographical and regulatory knowledge are among the barriers faced by women in Aceh, North Sumatra, Central Java, Maluku, Papua and West Papua.
“The cultural aspect is still a dominant barrier that limits women’s participation in the public sphere, including in the recruitment and selection process for election organizers on many levels,” Ana said in a press conference in Jayapura on Monday (24/3).
Women still lack knowledge particularly in information on recruitment and the selection process as well as knowledge on electoral technicalities, she added
Geographically, there are certain challenging areas that make it difficult for women to have access and participate fully, especially for those who live on islands and mountainous areas.
“Although Election Law No.15/2011 has set a 30 percent representation of women, but it is not supported by implementing regulations or the recruitment and selection process, so that the interpretation and implementation is still problematic, “she said.
The deputy researcher, Julia Ikasarana said women who were interviewed in Jayapura, Papua, and five other provinces mentioned that they did not pass the selection process because they did not know the main tasks of the election agency.
“Women have minimal knowledge due to lack of information and rules, which benefit those who have previously served. Indeed, some women who have no capacity were just picked to meet the quota,” she added.
Julia, a former member of the Election Supervisory Body in Jayapura, said that it is very important to have women representation in the election organizing body. In Papua, only one woman is represented in the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) while there is no woman representation in West Papua.
One of the five commissioners of the Jayapura Election Commission is a woman. (Jubi / Arjuna/ Tina)
