Isma Savitri, Jakarta – Hundreds of women demonstrated at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle on Monday March 8 to celebrate International Women’s Day.

During the action, scores of women from the Indonesian People’s Opposition Front (FOR Indonesia) and the Indonesian Women’s Front (BPI), celebrated by singing the song Climbing to the Peak of the Mountain, while hundreds of others handed out leaflets with an article titled Indonesian Women in a State of Crisis!.

“Through this action and the distribution of leaflets, we wish to awaken the public’s consciousness that up until now, women in the world still bear a double burden and often experience violence in the home,” said action coordinator Dhyta Caturani.

The double burden experienced by women is still having to play the role of domestic duties such as cooking and caring for children, while also working in the pubic sphere. This is different to men working in the public domain who are not ‘burdened’ with work in the home.

“We believe this situation is a manifestation of the government’s failure in protecting women’s rights,” said Caturani. The evidence said Caturani, based on data complied this year, is that “Per day, 12 migrant workers die in their place of work, 1,600 women workers are dismissed, 20 women are sold as sexual commodities, and 12 women become victims of sexual violence”.

After handing out the leaflets, BPI then held a theatrical action titled Women’s Court Tries the Accused. “SBY was the defendant”, said Caturani referring to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

[Translated by James Balowski.]