When the self becomes an ego – first by believing that it is right, leading to the emergence of an ego. ‘He/She’ becomes egoistic by focusing on him/herself and becoming the number one or the best, the winner, while others are losers, and not important. The latter are inferior, known as ‘the other’.
The process of ‘rendering of the other as inferior’ has its own basis. The social environment teaches one to believe that others are inferior. This is essentially an on-going social construction. “The person is being ’shaped’ by those with authority. A child is being shaped by its parents,”says Myra Diarsi, former National Women’s Rights Commissioner for 1998-2006, and a feminist, who teaches gender equality in front of Civil Society Coalition for Women and Children in Surakarta (Komasipera) during a discussion to commemorate the International Women’s Day, Tuesday (11/3) at Anawim Hall, Yayasan YAPHI.
Myra Diarsi explains how today’s parents answer question about life goal by saying “busy with content!”. Social media has become a thing of a pride – for show off. Just have a look at the flood tragedy in Jakarta and Bekasi recently. There are so many acts of labeling the other for self-image. This is no doubt a result of social construction. The basis for labeling others is ethnicity, religion, race, group-think, gender and power relations.
Today’s power relation takes its cue from labeling people as ‘the other.’ This is pure social construction, and not biological or destiny or fate. “It is based on differences in sexual orientation or gender expression, then what, what does it have to do with ‘Dark Indonesia’? This is politics,” says Myra.
When people do not see any problem in normalising patriarchal relationship, then there is discrimination, labeling other people as ‘the other’. For example, when people see a woman’s success in terms of there being someone supporting her, and not in terms of her achievement. This often happens and so many people believe that women are inferior.
Strengthening Women as Vanguards for Reporting Violence
Women staged protest throughout the world on 8 March to show that theyy have a political voice.
Komasipera wants to make use of this International Women’s Day momentum to trace back the perception about women to this day. If one looks back at all the problems in the community today, particularly in relations to women and children, then one can say that "all the problems could be traced back to women’s and children’s experiences with violence, which has received much international attention. If Komasipera takes part in this endeavour, then the whole world could become enlightened, says Myra in front of 36 members of Komasipera who are mostly members of Integrated Service Post (PPT) – that is, women at the fore front in local villages, who listen to complaints about violence against women and children.
Suarakeadilan.org interviews Siti Lestari from Blora, a founder of Lembaga Pendampingan dan Pemberdayaan Kinasih (LPP Kinasih). Sri Lestari is the chairperson of LPP Kinasih. The organisation has been operational since 2019, and Sri acknowledges that the organisation has not experience any progress, as it does not have the networks. This is why she is participating in the discussion organised by Komasipera and yayasan YAPHI – to start a network.
This woman, who is also active in Satu Pena, says that she intends to meet intelligent women while networking. Most women do not have the will to read. They are also not willing to have a critical discussion. That is why she gets out of her comfort zone and set up an organisation. She says that there are so many cases of violence in Blora,but they are kept hidden. (Ast)
