Just as Indonesia varies geographically, culturally and socially, so do women across the archipelago. Women’s roles have become increasingly public; women today enjoy many of the same educational opportunities as men and make up a significant proportion of the labour force. Women make up just under half of the civil service, and there are now more women than ever sitting in parliament.

The Government of Indonesia is committed to upholding women’s rights through a number of legal provisions, and is signatory to several commitments and covenants regarding gender equality. While a Presidential Decree issued in 2000 mandates gender mainstreaming as a task to be undertaken by the government, the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment has drafted a new law on gender equality, which they hope to have passed this year, and implemented by 2011. The law would replace the Presidential Decree in order to ensure gender sensitive policies are implemented across all ministries and local governments, and would have the legal jurisdiction to do so.