In the meeting that recently took place, the Ambassador of Norway, H.E. Eivind S. Homme, complimented H.E. Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Linda Amalia Sari Gumelar for her Ministry’s actions to promote gender equality, and offered Norway’s strong support and partnership.
Ambassador Homme gave an introduction and update to Minister Linda Gumelar regarding the projects on gender supported by Norway. The main projects are with The Asia Foundation on women’s political participation and Komnas Perempuan, on protection of women’s rights through enforcement of Indonesia’s national laws and human rights conventions, already ratified by Indonesia. He complimented the Minister for what her Ministry is doing to promote gender equality and offered Norway’s strong support and partnership.
Throughout the meeting, the central topics discussed included Gender Responsive Budget, implementation of UNSCR 1325 on women, peace and security, as well as Juvenile Justice. Since 2010, every program in each Ministry is obliged to use the Gender Responsive Budget. The Ministry welcomes the Parliament’s initiative to make a law on Gender Responsive Budget.
The Ministry is also working on the Draft of National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325, which hopefully can be finished this year. This is an area also on the agenda for the Human Rights Dialogue between Indonesia and Norway. The Minister made clear that a new law for Juvenile Justice also is of high priority on her agenda. The Norwegian Embassy is supporting a UNICEF project within this field.
Another topic of discussion was women and forest/climate change in relation to the bilateral partnership on forest and climate between Indonesia and Norway. Minister Gumelar said she had attended the UNFCCC in Cancun, but unfortunately the issue of women and forest had not been given the proper attention, nor fully been integrated on the agenda yet.
Ambassador Homme and Minister Gumelar agreed to further expand the contact and cooperation between the Ministry and the Embassy, and look for ways to work together in promoting the role of women in politics and UNSCR 1325.
