http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/05/03/gender-roles-ri-cobwebs-curriculum.html
, May 3, 2008 3:49 PM Gender roles in RI: Cobwebs in the curriculum Yoyoh Hulaiyah Hafidz , Jakarta | Sat, 05/03/2008 11:14 AM | Opinion It was nearly three decades ago, in my first year of elementary school, when I first learned about role divisions within a family. In my first grade Indonesian language text book, I learned Bapak pergi ke kantor (Father goes to the office) and Ibu memasak di dapur (Mother cooks in the kitchen). Fathers were breadwinners and mothers were homemakers. The public arena was considered a male domain that women were not a part of -- and that women should stay at home. Some aspects of life have changed since that time, including the increasing demand for equality of the sexes, and we would assume that these old ways have changed. But recently when my little boy (a first grade elementary school student) asked me for help with some homework questions from his text book Civic Education (Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan), it allowed me to revisit the curriculum and see that my assumption was wrong -- the same division still exists; Bapak still goes to the office, and Ibu is still at home. The long-lasting content of the curriculum regarding gender differentiation may be a reflection of a long-standing social patriarchal judgment within the Indonesian community: that women are better in the domestic sphere than in outside positions. The issue of gender equality has always been contradicted in a discourse: if women are (also) going out, then who is going to take care of domestic duties. Women are seemingly destined to be in the domestic arena and it is men's destiny to play a role outside. >From this point, we can clearly see there is a misperception between 'roles' >and 'destinies'. It is true that being pregnant, delivering a baby and breast >feeding can be part of a woman's destiny. However, being a homemaker or having >roles in the public arena are not necessarily the sole domains of either men >or women. This is a misperception of roles which could be adopted by either >men or women. This misperception has oft created a dilemma or a double burden for women who take on outside activities. A working mother, for example, still has to take on the major responsibilities of running a household and raising children, even when she supports her family financially, while fathers only bear the responsibility of earning for the family. The other contradiction in women's emancipation is that the emancipation is very often associated with women demanding to be allowed to go out, which then leads to the above discourse. But, in fact, the substance of the emancipation is not about women going out, rather that women (and men) have the right to choose their own roles, and not be forced into following preconceived gender roles within their communities. We should appreciate women who choose to be housewives, just as we appreciate men who choose to be income earners. Conversely, if a woman chooses to take on an outside position or activity, this should also be fully supported. In a household, Bapak and Ibu have equal rights to sit at the same table, discuss their respective competence, potential and how they would equally divide their roles to share both economic and household burdens. If more people recognized this balance, where each party respects the others' roles, I believe there would be an all-round improvement of male-female relationships in the home and a reduction of domestic violence. Despite the fact that the government has given many opportunities to women to participate in the development of the nation, including a 30 percent quota of female representatives in parliament, the misperception remains. The quota has yet to be fulfilled, with a lack of support and awareness of gender equality cited as one of the main hindrances. The early years of childhood are believed to be an important part of person's character-shaping. If we can start here, future agents of change will create a better standard of living in this country. The government's efforts to prioritize gender issues in education should really be appreciated; in particular in its compulsory education program which aims to balance the school enrollments of boys and girls under nine-years-old. And children would benefit even more as soon as the old misperceptions and gender roles found in the curriculum are overhauled. The equal perception and optimum use of both men's and women's potential and competencies would lead to an increase of productivity within the family, society and nation -- which could even pull this county out of its current long-standing crisis. The writer works for an international funding agency, and is a mother of two sons. Views expressed here are her personal opinion. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
