In their report, Left Without a Choice, Amnesty International brings to the worlds attention such oppression taking place in Indonesia. "many Indonesian women and girls, especially those from poor and marginalized communities, struggle to achieve reproductive health in the face of discriminatory laws, policies and practices," writes blog.amnestyusa.org.
The discriminatory practices of the Indonesian government restrict and prevent access to contraception methods or abortion, even if without it the woman may die. Abortion is legally available for women/girls who become pregnant as a result of rape, but then why do between 5 and 11 percent of maternal deaths in Indonesia occur because of unsafe abortions?
It seems unlikely, to me, that the government of Indonesia has in fact taken steps to make the necessary health information and resources more accessible to rape victims and/or all women. It is 2010 and it is unacceptable that girls aged 16 are getting kicked out of school, and forced to get married or subjecting themselves to unsafe abortions because they are not given many other options.
For the growth of a country and it's evolution from the periphery to the core, it has been proven that having a population of women have access to methods of birth-control is essential. It lessens the infant and maternal mortality rate as well as allows women/girls to remain in school longer, as they do not have to drop out to raise children. As a result of a receiving a complete education, women are more equipped and free to pursue a career, which has proven to lower the number of children produced per woman. Overall, the simple access of education and contraception granted to women helps the country level out population growth and become more industrialized.
It is time to cease living in the past and take a step forward. Moving past long standing stereotypes based on ignorance and patriarchy would benefit the country as a whole, not just the women.
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