Jakarta – The commemoration of International Women’s Day (IWD) was marked by the accumulation of bitter gifts in the form of the soaring price of basic commodities and soybean, the bacteria infection of powdered milk products and the high cost of education and healthcare.

Erick P. Hardi, Bandung – Scores of students and workers from the National Student Front (FMN) demonstrated in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung today to commemorate International Women’s Day which falls on Saturday March 8.

Udin, Banda Aceh – United Nations High Commission for Human Rights Louise Arbour is particularly interested in women’s issues in Aceh. She is asking the Aceh government under the leadership of Governor Irwandi Yusuf to pay attention to gender equality at all decision-making levels in the Aceh government.

Dara, Banda Aceh – A number of women’s activists that are concerned about the fate of women have declared a new local political party that has been given the name the Acehnese People’s Alliance Party for Women’s Concern (Partai Aliansi Rakyat Aceh Peduli Perempuan, PARAPP).

Dara, Banda Aceh – International Labour Day, which is known as May Day, was also commemorated in Aceh on May 1. Hundreds of representatives of labour organisations in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh held a peaceful rally on the grounds of the Acehnese Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) and at the Simpang Lima roundabout.

Irwan Nugroho, Jakarta – Some 25 artists from the Nyai Ontosoroh1 Theater held a peaceful action at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout in Central Jakarta today. The action was held in conjunction with the commemoration of Hari Kartini2 that falls on Saturday April 21.

Banda Aceh – Acehnese women from the Gender Working Group (GWG) held a peaceful action to commemorate International Women’s Day (IWD) on Thursday March 8.

Shinta Shinaga, Jakarta – Female circumcision is indeed already a tradition in Indonesia. However the medical world is now becoming concerned about the practice of removing the clitoris. The results of a Detik.com poll indicated that female circumcision must be banned.

Jakarta, Kompas – Commemorating International Women’s Day on March 8, women in Jakarta, Banda Aceh, Yogyakarta and Makassar held peaceful actions demanding that the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) resolve the nation’s major problems.

On March 8, no less than 400 mostly women activists from Perempuan Mahardhika, which is made up of urban poor, worker and student organisations along with other women’s groups, marched to demand government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono stop paying the foreign debt and use the budget to improve welfare for the poor.