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South Asia | Indonesia | Military

Ridiculous: Indonesian women forced to undergo ‘virginity tests’ before enrolling in military

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Women in Indonesia who wish to join the military, police enforcement or to wed a military man are compelled to take a “two-finger” virginity test, authorities said. The current law — which has been around for decades — requires women to strip naked to let doctors examine whether their hymen is in tact, according to the advocacy group Human Rights Watch. The World Health Organization has said that there is no scientific validity for these virginity tests and no reason why they should be performed. Still, the method continues to be standard practice in the early stages of enlist
South Asia | Indonesia | Society

West Papuan women left isolated and beset by violence under Indonesian rule

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West Papuans have struggled for their freedom since they were annexed by Indonesia and robbed of their right to a fair referendum in 1969. While the independence struggle slowly gains more visibility due to a courageous network of civilian journalists on the ground, it is the stories and struggles of West Papuan women that are often silenced. Under Indonesian rule, indigenous West Papuans are routinely subjected to violence and oppression. President Joko Widodo recently announced lifting the decades-long restrictions on foreign media, but so far this appears to be little more than diplom
South Asia | Indonesia | Entrepreneurship

She left Lehman and Lazada to build Southeast Asia’s next big ecommerce portal for women

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There’s little doubt left that women hold the key to ecommerce in Southeast Asia. Women are responsible for the majority of purchasing decisions in the region, they shop for themselves as well as for family and friends. That’s exactly the reason why Ardent Capital introduced Moxy, its new everything-store for women in Indonesia in June. Moxy was founded in 2013 by Shannon Kalayanamitr as a Bangkok-based women’s fashion and lifestyle portal. At the beginning of this year, she sold her company to WhatsNew, a Thai ecommerce conglomerte backed by Ardent Capital. WhatsNew had pet, baby,
South Asia | Indonesia | Technology

Meet Leonika Boedioetomo, a kick-ass female developer from Indonesia who started Reblood

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Women are underrepresented in Indonesia’s IT space for various reasons. There’s a prevailing stereotype that IT jobs are a more suitable for men. However, some female tech pioneers are coming forward these days. In this series, Tech in Asia talks to young women who have decided to make coding a career. Leonika Sari Njoto Boedioetomo, founder of Reblood Leonika Sari Njoto Boedioetomo is a developer and the founder of Reblood, an app that encourages people to donate blood. Her startup is currently part of the Start Surabaya incubation program. She’s also active in the FemaleDev commu
South Asia | Indonesia | Activism

Calls for lifting of female curfew in Indonesia’s Aceh

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Many working women hope Jakarta will reverse night-time restrictions and give them back their freedom of movement. Activists in Indonesia are voicing their opposition to a partial curfew imposed on women earlier this month in Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province. The provincial government says the new rule, which mandates that females working or visiting nightspots must return home by 11pm, is meant to protect women from sexual harassment and prevent them from being overworked. But opponents of the regulation say the curfew not only takes away the basic freedom of movement but repre
South Asia | Indonesia | Culture

Indonesia army urged to stop virginity tests for recruits

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Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the hymen examinations were "harmful and humiliating'. Another group said they may amount to torture. The Indonesian military has defended the tests, saying they stop immoral women from entering the armed forces. Indonesia's police faced criticism last year for requiring the examinations. As well as HRW, the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) also spoke out about the practice ahead of a conference on military medicine in Bali, Indonesia. IRCT described the testing as "a gross violation of women's rights and one that may amo
South Asia | Indonesia | Business

Indonesia’s Women Looking for Options to Foreign Maid Jobs

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A wok of hot oil may hold the key to Yuyun Sustiawati’s future – or so she hopes. For now, it’s enough to earn her business frying crackers that keeps her from the cycle of migrating abroad to find a job. The 30-year-old spent more than six years working as a maid in Saudi Arabia. Her first employer didn’t allow her to keep a cell phone to call home. The next one was better, but going abroad, Ms. Sustiawati says, is never easy. Poor treatment, rights violations and low salaries are some of the reasons the Indonesian government says it wants to stop sending new maids to nearly two
South Asia | Indonesia | Business

Wobe: Entrepreneurial tech for disadvantaged women in SEA

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TODAY, April 16, marks the soft launch of Wobe (pronounced ‘Woh-Bay’), a small startup with a very big mission: To enable the entrepreneurial will of women in Indonesia. At its core, Wobe is a micro-business app with an e-wallet, designed to make it easy for anyone with a smartphone and mobile Internet access to start a business in selling prepaid phone airtime, electricity and water payment vouchers, and even bus and train tickets. It is a business and mission borne out of the time founder Adrianna Tan has spent over the years volunteering at non-profit organisations focused on he
South Asia | Indonesia | Business

Profile: Family, Career the Perfect Investments for Ratih D. Item, Sucorinvest’s Chief Executive

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It’s natural that anyone would want to entrust their assets with the most reliable manager they can find. Among the best managers in the financial industry in Indonesia today, one name stands out. Ratih D. Item, president director of Sucorinvest Central Gani, pays attention to every little detail that makes investing feel like a trip to your mother’s house — welcoming, understanding and educational all at the same time. As an equity broker and investment bank, Sucorinvest is a name to be reckoned with. With Ratih at its helm, the company serves 6,000 customers with Rp 3.7 trillion
South Asia | Indonesia | Crimes

To Halt Human Trafficking, Govt Pledges to Empower Women in NTT

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Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohana Yembise on Monday pledged to build a workforce training center for female migrant workers in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) to reduce the number of human trafficking cases in the province. “There are some government programs that will be done to help develop areas in eastern Indonesia; one of those programs is building a training center for women migrant workers,” Minister Yohana told kompas.com on Monday. “The number of human trafficking case in East Nusa Tenggara is still high.” The government would prioritize the progra
South Asia | Indonesia | Crimes

Reports of Violence Rise As Women Gain a Voice

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Reported cases of violence against women have increased over the past four years, an indication that Indonesian women are more aware of their rights and more confident, an independent government body said. “Women are more aware now, they are braver,” said commissioner Azriana, who goes by one name. “They know they can report those cases, and that they have the right to do so.” The National Commission on Violence Against Women found that reports of violence involving women more than doubled between 2010 and 2014, rising to 293,220 cases from 105,103 cases four years earlier. In

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