Speaker of the House Dr. (H.C.) Puan Maharani. Photo: Eno, Azka/Man

Speaker of the House Dr. (H.C.) Puan Maharani virtually swore in on Thursday (23/7/2020) the Indonesian Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (KPP-RI) for the 2020-2024 period, while members of the caucus were present physically at the ceremony in the parliament complex, Jakarta. 

Maharani said in her speech that women have taken more political roles nationwide. After Megawati Soekarno putri became Indonesia’s first female president, Puan Maharani was elected Indonesia’s first female Speaker of the House. There are also more women who sit in the House with 21 percent of female parliamentarians in the 2019-2024 term, compared to 17 percent in the 2014-2019 term. The figure also includes higher percentage of female legislators occupying leadership positions in the House committees.  

The caucus has been charged with the task to increase women’s political capability, paving their way to lead more vital public offices, said the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-Perjuangan) politician, who is also the chair of the caucus board of advisors.  

"This is the momentum that Indonesian women should build on to hold key offices in politics. I believe the Indonesian Women’s Parliamentary Caucus plays an important role in achieving the goal," Maharani asserted. She pointed out that while many achievements have been made, Indonesian women still face various challenges in social, cultural, economic, and political spheres. 

Under the leadership of legislator Diah Pitaloka, Maharani encouraged the Parliamentary Women's Caucus to promote its role on strategic aspects of the national development. "The Indonesian women have placed their hope on the Indonesian Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, and you should accommodate their aspiration by carrying out your constitutional duty as Members of the Indonesian Parliament through the exercise of legislative, supervisory, and budgetary functions,” she maintained. 

Among the top priorities for Indonesian Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, according to Maharani, are strengthening national regulation to promote the role of Indonesian women, and establishing cooperation with various organizations and countries to create a women-friendly environment. 

“We have to remind and convince people that women’s inclusion in national development is not just an affirmative policy, but a conscious action of respect for the human dignity,” said the former minister of human development and culture. (ann/sf)