Honestly, women’s role
cannot be underestimated. Every woman has power to overcome any obstacles and
challenges. Like 'Srikandi', one of the female figures, the Arjuna's wife, a
brave and skillful heroine using crossbow in the story of Mahabharata,
Sumbanese women are also expected to be intelligent and brave. The women's
involvement has been proved important started from a small scope such as
instilling good character to children in family until a broader scope such as
economic, political, social, cultural aspects, even security and defense.
That’s why women’s active participation, especially in Sumba, still needs to be
increased, especially in organization involvement. Generally, women are involved
only as members and they rarely occupy position of chairman or decision makers
in organization. This is the main reason that I, Elisabeth Uru Ndaya, was
encouraged to give motivations to young Sumba women to participate in
organizations and institutions and to be able to occupy important position.
The Student Christian
Movement in Indonesian (GMKI) is one Christian organization in Waingapu having
concerns to improve women’s participation in Sumba. Lack of women’s involvement
from time to time in organization, made this institution try to find the best
solution to answer. In the last few years, the number of female members of GMKI
Waingapu has decreased, from 20 members to only 7 women members.
On October 5, 2019, I was
invited to be a speaker at GMKI Introductory meeting for new students at STT
(Theological Institute) GKS Lewa, attended by 37 participants with 24 female
participants. I was entrusted to be the lighter for female participants to keep
spirit in maintaining consistency in organization and to equip them with
knowledge and qualifications of good behaviors, so that in the future they will
be ready to occupy important positions in organization.
The SWOT analysis that I
used with Mely Njurumana, SE., a partner activist to do advocacy for women,
helped participants to find and evaluate themselves by finding strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats that exist in themselves and their
environment. From the analysis they found strengths, such as women having an
important role, namely: giving birth intelligent generation; women become
household managers and care for children; women are diligent in doing a job;
and potential in weaving cloth, dance, farming and making crafts. The weaknesses
of Sumbanese women in general are; they still feel weaker than men; they accept
cultural rules without understanding the reasons, for example women only take
care the kitchen and no need to have higher education; and they do not dare to
fight for their dream even though there are many examples of women activists in
organizations and institutions. Actually many opportunities are available for
women as the increase of awareness to get higher education, besides that tourism
in Sumba attracts more tourists so there are many opportunities for women to
take part in it, further information about many things are more easily obtained
so it is easy for women to follow the development of the era and knowledge. The
threats are Sumbanese women lack of confidence and support from the closest
group even family to move forward and men
don’t want to diminish their power, worse is the fear of the image that woman
is against Sumba culture whenever women promote gender equality.
From the analysis of
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, however, women must continue
to do progress and to keep the spirit to develop their potencies so that they
can contribute ideas to decide something in their family, community or church.
Therefore, Sumba women, especially young people do not need to be discouraged
to walk on with enthusiasm, perseverance and strategy. The young
"Srikandi" of Sumba will be able to take part for the progress of the
island of Sumba (Elizabeth Uru Ndaya).
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