In Indonesia, we are told never to underestimate the power of “emak-emak”, referring to mothers, or more generally any strong-willed middle-aged ladies, who just don’t give a shit and won’t put up with any shit either. While the phrase is often used jokingly, it’s quite fitting that today, on Indonesia’s Mother’s Day, we should recognize the emak-emak who are, arguably, running our country better than the blokes.
Today, during an official trip to tourism hotspot Raja Ampat in Papua, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo dedicated a speech to praise the country’s nine female cabinet ministers — all of whom are mothers — in celebration of Mother’s Day, while expressing his pride at the number of women working in his government.
“In Russia, they only have one female minister (Editor’s note: They actually have three). Indonesia has nine great female ministers,” Jokowi said today, as quoted by FaktaNews.
Indonesia has among the highest number of female representation in top government jobs in the world. Only the likes of Canada (15), Sweden (12) and France (11) — countries that are considered to be more socially and politically progressive than most — can boast having more female ministers in their current cabinets.
Percentage-wise, however, Indonesia’s number of female ministers is comparatively much lower than the aforementioned countries above considering that there are 34 ministers in Jokowi’s government (Canada has 31 while Sweden and France have 22 each).
However, it’s important to note that none of Indonesia’s female ministers have been replaced during Jokowi’s cabinet reshuffles — eight of them have held their posts ever since Jokowi appointed them in 2014, whereas one of them, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani (who ranked 36th in Forbes’ world’s most powerful women list last year and named Asia’s best finmin this year), came in to the cabinet to replace her predecessor Bambang Brodjonegoro in 2016.
Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti is also revered in Indonesia. Not only is Susi the minister with the highest approval rating in Jokowi’s cabinet, she is also almost universally beloved by supporters across the political spectrum, from right-wing nationalists (who love the way she protects the country’s maritime borders from illegal fishing vessels – often in explosive fashion) and environmentalists such as Leonardo DiCaprio (for her ceaseless push for sustainability and innovations).
Selamat Hari Ibu to these awesome ministerial mothers and all mothers in Indonesia.
