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New
Hope to Promote the Fate of Women Workers
in Tourism
Balinese
women constitute more than 50% of workers
in the tourism industry. They work as waitress,
administration officers, tour guides, and
other middle to lower level positions, but
little of them are lucky to get managerial
positions.
Whilst they might be happy with their job,
attempts to express their concerns to be
equally given the chance for middle and
upper positions based on their merit and
ability is important. Many of them still
receive low incomes for working hard day
or night.
Believed that only women’s activists
and politicians could better voice women’s
concerns, it is to be hoped that women politicians
who are currently trying to make their way
to the house of representatives to struggle
for gender equality. Here lies a new hope
to promote the fate of women in the tourism
industry.
The women of Bali entered the political
arena a long time ago, but still their numbers
and their opportunities are very small.
Ni Wayan Sami (1960s-1970s), Ida Ayu Nantri
(1980s) and Mita Duarsa (1990s) were some
examples of Balinese women who became members
of the Bali Regional House of Representatives.
For holding the seat of people’s representative,
they were deeply involved in a political
party or social organization.
Nowadays, based on the latest General Election
Law, opportunities for Indonesian women
in general, and Balinese women especially,
to enter the political arena, are getting
wider. According to the law, the number
of woman in the house of representative
is allocated at 30%. This regulation never
existed previously. By this law, the number
of Balinese women who are involved in the
political arena will increase. Many political
par-ties recruited women to be board members
and legislative candidates.
Whether the fact that the number of Balinese
women will increase in the Regional Assembly
at provincial and regency and municipal
level, certainly depends very much on the
party’s vote result that nominates
them at the General Election that will take
place next April 2004.
Apart becoming board members and legislative
candidates of political parties, Balinese
women also take part in winning the opportunity
of becoming Provincial Representatives Council
(DPD), namely representatives of Bali’s
Province in the central People’s Consultative
Assembly. One of the public figures that
applied for this position was Ida Ayu Mas,
an activist and tourism entrepreneur. Ida
Ayu Mas who studied in Germany is active
in social and intellectual activities in
Bali.
The presence of women in the political arena
is expected to represent the woman’s
voice, together with male leaders trying
hard to raise the nation’s dignity
and status, improving educational standard
and creating vacancies for unemployed people.
After the General Election in 2004, the
look of social and political life in Bali
will change, especially if women’s
groups get positions in the political arena
and legislative. This will be able to change
the image of Balinese women that are known
now as those who only can handle household
work or become dancers, but in fact, they
are not to be left behind in the political
arena.
Women politicians are highly hoped to be
able to raise issues faced by the nation
in various sectors including the tourism
industry.
(BTN/04)
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