Of Hearts and Incapable Minds

Indonesians can boast they have had a woman in the top job, but activists say that female representation in the post-election cabinet will be lower than that of Rwanda.

February 10, 2009

DUE to affirmative action policies, Rwanda now has 44 percent of women in their parliament. “Amazing considering Rwanda is a more politically and economically backward country than Indonesia,” says Sita Aripurnami of the Women’s Research Institute.

The number of women in parliament post-election this year is expected to drop by almost half making it fall to around 6 percent. The introduction of the majority vote criteria means women will

...

More Articles