Sydney, 21 April 2017
I just woke up after having an afternoon nap. Then I just lied on my bed and scrolled through my Instagram. I found an interesting fact that some women in Instagram celebrate the Kartini's Day by mentioning a quote "Educated women do not mean to compete with men, they mean to develop a generation".
The quote seems nice for most of Indonesians, but to me, it is just another form of women's restraint. First, it says educated women do not mean to compete with men. Come on, we are now living in 21st century, we have left the dark age hundreds years ago, why do Indonesians choose to stuck in the past? Men and women are all human being. We all believe that every person has the same right to be anything they want. Women are really capable to compete with men. Don't degrade your confidence because of the outdated patriarchy. Yes, patriarchy is quite strong in Indonesian culture and religion (Islam), probably this is why Indonesian women is still permissive to be the second-class citizen.
Furthermore, the concept that women are responsible to educate their children is not completely true. You may argue this and that, but let's see the fact how many women work to feed their family, and how many men waste their time to stay up at night hanging out with their male neighbours? Raising and teaching kids are responsible of both male and female parents, not only one sided. Also, women have the same right with men to expand their potency and career. It is so uncivilised to say that women cannot continue to pursue their dream since they have to stay at home raising their kids. The old role that says men work and women stay at home, to me, is just an old, obsolete concept and no longer relevant today. The most important is the collaboration between man and woman in a household, no matter what role they decide.
Anyway, happy Kartini's Day for Indonesian women!
