VZCZCXRO8082
OO RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHJA #1259/01 2091042
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 281042Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2927
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001259 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, DRL 
NSC FOR J. BADER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KWMN ID
SUBJECT: USG-FUNDED TRAINING EMPOWERS NEW WOMEN LEGISLATORS 
 
REF: A. JAKARTA 1092 
     ¶B. JAKARTA 851 
 
¶1.    (U) SUMMARY:  U.S.-funded training is playing a key 
role in building up the legislative capacity of the 
Indonesian Parliament (DPR).  More than sixty percent of the 
DPR which will sit in October will consist of new members. 
Between 15 to 18 percent of the new legislators will be 
women, an increase from the 2004 figure of 11 percent.  A 
USG-funded workshop held July 21-24 focused on empowering 
these recently-elected women legislators.  Similar training 
programs are in the works for other soon-to-be MPs.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
ASSISTING NEW WOMEN LEGISLATORS 
 
¶2.    (U) U.S. government-supported National Democratic 
Institute (NDI) and International Republican Institute (IRI) 
programs are providing essential political skills training 
for new Indonesian legislators at the national and local 
levels.  Poloff observed a July 21-24 workshop sponsored by 
NDI.  The workshop focused on empowering new women 
legislators.  This was likely the most extensive training the 
generally inexperienced soon-to-be legislators will receive. 
The DPR currently only offers them a short orientation 
program. 
 
¶3.    (U) In the sessions, a total of 28 women from parties 
across the political spectrum, many wearing the traditional 
Muslim headscarf, enthusiastically participated in the 
training.  Participants were from throughout the country, 
from Papua to Aceh to the far-flung islands of Jambi and 
Maluku.  Their trainers included one female MP from Malaysia 
(a USG International Visitors Leadership Program awardee) and 
one from Australia, who joined two Indonesian media 
consultants on a pro-bono basis to lead the sessions. 
 
NETWORKING AND OTHER STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS 
 
¶4.    (U) The sessions provided an important opportunity for 
women legislators to network across party lines and identify 
partners for future consensus building on key legislation. 
They met with the current leader of the DPR women's caucus 
and learned about women friendly networking resources such as 
the "Iknowpolitics" website and blogs.  Trainers discussed 
how to choose which of the eleven commissions to join and 
encouraged them to also consider Commission One (one of the 
most influential, dealing with foreign affairs and defense) 
as well as other powerful commissions such as those dealing 
with finance and other economic issues. 
 
¶5.    (U) Trainers asked the parliamentarians to brainstorm 
strategies for success in their first one hundred days in 
office.  The parliamentarians' ideas included: "contacting 
constituents on Facebook; holding gratitude gatherings; 
newsletters; conducting surveys to hear about constituent 
concerns; building health clinics; contacting religious 
communities for outreach; asking youth organizations to 
create educational programs for women; and, consolidating 
networks within local government bodies." 
 
¶6.    (U) Trainers also helped the legislators identify and 
practice a variety of essential skills.  Legislators polished 
their public speaking skills and learned how to address the 
media.  They also discussed the importance of constituency 
outreach, honoring codes of ethics, and the impact of gender 
on legislative products. 
 
THE POLITICS OF WOMEN'S LEGISLATIVE PARTICIPATION 
 
¶7.    (U) The legislative participation of women became a 
heated political issue during the lead up to the April 9, 
2009, legislative elections (see reftels).  A 2008 election 
law contained an affirmative action clause aimed at boosting 
the numbers of women in Parliament to thirty percent of the 
total.  The law also stipulated that all political parties 
must include a woman candidate as one of every three 
candidates on the party list of candidates.  This was meant 
to correct the fact that women candidates, who often had less 
money and influence, were frequently relegated to the bottom 
of party lists,  making it nearly impossible for them to gain 
seats (which parties allocated from the top of the list 
down). 
 
¶8.    (U) A Constitutional Court ruling a few months before 
the elections dramatically changed the situation.  The ruling 
enabled voters to choose the candidate on the list who they 
 
JAKARTA 00001259  002 OF 002 
 
 
preferred, regardless of their position on the party list. 
Women's activists were concerned that this ruling effectively 
eliminating the affirmative action clause would be 
disadvantageous to women.  The percentage of women in the 
2009 legislature nonetheless increased.  Pending final seat 
allocation, preliminary results indicate that women will 
comprise between 15 to 18 percent of the DPR. 
 
¶9.    (U) Indonesian women are making progress in the field 
of politics.  The legislators' enthusiasm and appreciation of 
the NDI program was clear and the event generated 
considerable goodwill toward the U.S.  Similar training 
programs are in the works for other soon-to-be MPs. 
 
HUME