National Kartini Day: Indonesia

As is customary on April 21 the nation will celebrate the birthday of Raden Ayu Kartini (1879-1904), who despite her short life became a symbol for women’s rights, literacy and social aspirations. For companies and businesses an appropriate celebration would be to acknowledge the pivotal role being played by women in modern Indonesia and to reinforce the respect their many contributions warrant as Amol Titus writes.

Kartini’s brief but eventful life encapsulates many of the challenges still facing women in their quest for education, careers and financial independence. The daughter of Raden Mas Sosroningrat, the regent of Jepara, and Ngasirah, Kartini was the fifth child and eldest daughter in a family of 11, which included half-siblings from her father’s other marriages.

By the age of 12 Kartini had gained a high degree of proficiency in Dutch and developed a passion for reading and knowledge. This allowed her to expand her horizons and become aware of issues and trends sweeping continental Europe. A pen friendship with Rosa Abendanon blossomed and this resulted in a series of letters that now provide fascinating insights into the thoughts and opinions of a bright, curious and progressive late 19th century Javanese teenager.

Though her intellectual pursuits were cut short by marriage at her parents’ insistence to Raden Adipati Joyodiningrat, the regent of Rembang who already had three wives, and subsequently an untimely death, in her short life and through her passionate views Kartini did enough to inspire generations of ordinary women who were to follow. And to show that by dint of perseverance women could rise above the odds imposed by social customs, gender stereotypes, opportunity constraints and family obligations.

Today, the country’s revival is indelibly linked to the active role being played by women in civil society, and their increasingly important role in the economic and corporate world. And the poster children of this achievement are not just the high-profile female politicians or senior corporate executives, but more importantly the vast number of ordinary women who now account for a significant portion of the nation’s workforce.

From the dexterous kretek makers to the enterprising small business owners, from the hardworking garment and sports shoe makers to the smart officers in banks or insurance companies, to the foreign exchange-earning overseas maids and nurses to the smiling toll fee collectors.

From economics to education, R&D to media, medicine to journalism, from agriculture to the manufacturing and service sectors — the roles and contributions of women continue to grow in significance. Indeed, the joke that half of the country’s GDP is propped up by natural resources and the other half by women might not be very far from the truth!

And yet like Kartini they continue to face substantial struggles, with opportunities being disproportionate to their talent and track record. Currently, on an average less than 20 percent of the senior jobs are being performed by women. This percentage shrinks sharply when it comes to government entities, with the representation of women in central and provincial cabinets also illustrating this point.

Incidents of sexual discrimination, harassment and abuse remain prevalent in what is still largely a male dominated society and corporate ethos. The chaotic living conditions in cities like Jakarta are also posing challenges to women as they are challenged with managing the stresses of work and home.

Women workers and managers are also constantly getting boxed in by stereotyping and a limiting of roles. For example, it is relatively common to find women in functions like human resources or finance but seldom in production or engineering. Companies will readily hire women for secretarial positions but few will seriously plan for grooming women from within the ranks into CEO roles.

Some assume women will not be suited for outstation jobs and others regard marriage and children as “obstacles” to career progression. In some state-owned companies women are also expected to play a more “subservient” role.

A whole body of Western scholastic research highlights peculiar traits and strengths of women in the corporate workplace, which also has relevance in the broader Asian context. It highlights women:

have a natural preference to “build” while men have a natural preference to “win”

are more inclined for consensus building and teamwork

are more likely to encourage openness and be more accessible to their subordinates

are faster to adjust to and accept diversity in the workplace

are adept at providing well-reasoned feedback

are keen to achieve a work-life balance and this influences job selection significantly

have less of a propensity for office politics and short-term goals

While there might be some generalizations, the above attributes are highly valued in a work environment as is prevalent in Indonesia. Many local HR managers or consultants will attest that women now account for a highly intelligent, diligent and conscientious proportion of their workforce. Furthermore, women are often seen to be outperforming men in terms of productivity, personal integrity, harmony building, commitment and loyalty.

Therefore, corporations need to create conditions that harness these attributes and help women maximize their potential. This starts with clear and unequivocal policies that minimize forms of discrimination and prejudice. Policies related to recruitment, career planning and promotion, job rotation, training and self-development, health and safety and others need to be reviewed from female perspectives.

Companies that are sensitive in terms of working hours, transportation, maternity benefits, flexible assignments for young mothers, creche facilities, skill development and career management are also being sensible. For by taking care of some of their high potential employees they are in effect taking care of the interests of their customers, shareholders and ultimately long-term prosperity.

Indonesia’s elevation to a higher growth trajectory will depend on how effectively its workforce integrates and competes in a globalized world. And success will hinge on how well women workers are treated, motivated and groomed for more influential roles. Thousands of female workers in the country have been coping daily despite the odds, much like Kartini.

However, unlike Kartini, the majority of them remain unsung and their efforts are at times undervalued and taken for granted. This Kartini Day companies can start to make a real difference by showing them the respect they rightfully deserve.

The writer (Amol Titus) is Nehru scholar from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, who is a management professional and writer based in Jakarta. His column appears on the second Wednesday of every month.