SUMENEP, KOMPAS – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said that he was convinced that women should play a key role in maintaining peace in the nation. This was because one’s appreciation for peace was fostered by childhood guidance from one’s mother figure.
Hundreds of women from West Java (Bogor and Depok), Central Java (Klaten, Sukoharjo and Surakarta) and East Java (Malang and Sumenep) attended a series of events commemorating the International Day of Peace at Annuqayah Islamic boarding school in Guluk-Guluk, Sumenep regency, East Java. Held by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the Wahid Foundation, the event comprised interactive discussions on the causes of conflicts and ways to resolve them. One of the issues raised during the discussions was that the elections of regional and village heads were the two most common triggers of social conflicts.
“Women can be important players in creating peace, both in local and global scopes,” the President said at Annuqayah boarding school on Sunday (8/10/2017), accompanied by State Secretary Pratikno, Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa, UN Women Asia Pacific regional director Miwa Kato, East Java Governor Soekarno, Sumenep Regent Busyro Karim, Annuqayah boarding school head Abdul A’la and Wahid Foundation director Yenny Zannuba Wahid.
The President said that peace and serenity were the two characteristics all families should nurture, and that women played a huge role in fostering peace.
President Joko Widodo relayed to the audience a message Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani conveyed to him at a recent bilateral meeting. Jokowi said that his Afghan counterpart told him to manage cultural diversity well. “All problems, no matter how small, should be addressed immediately. Let us together safeguard our diversity,” the President said to the audience’s applause.
The event also included the reading of a pledge by the women’s representatives of varying backgrounds. They pledged their mutual commitment to safeguarding peace, maintaining harmony between people and being on the frontlines to maintain harmony among religious people.
Peace Village
The Peace Village program was also launched during the event. Yenny said that women played an important role in implementing and safeguarding peace, not only in their own families but also in their communities.
The Peace Village program was initiated in Sumenep due to Madura’s huge potential. “Madurese women have the unique character of being tenacious, hard-working, and religious. They also love to work together. These are good values that should be fostered in the effort to empower women. These were our considerations in choosing Sumenep as a pioneer,” Yenny said.
UN Women’s Kato appreciated the management of Annuqayah school, which was established in 1887, for hosting the Peace Village program. She also said that women’s empowerment should not only be about fighting for women’s rights, but should also be about fostering harmonious cooperation between men and women. A harmonious community filled with mutual appreciation, tolerance and peace was the expected result of women’s empowerment.
“We are very pleased to see the warm welcome for the women’s empowerment program,” Kato said.