TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - About 700 people consisting of men, women and transgender people participated in the first Women’s March launched in front of the State Palace in Jakarta on Saturday, March 4, 2017. The event was held to commemorate the International Women’s Day that will fall on March 8, 2017.
The participants started the march from the Sarinah Shopping Center at Jalan M.H. Thamrin. They marched to Taman Pandang Istana while voicing their demands.
“There will be Women’s March in the United States this year. We want to send a solidarity message to women there that Indonesia has the same issue with the US. The example is violence against women,” Women’s March Jakarta organizing committee chief Caroline Monteiro said on Saturday, March 4, 2017.
According to Caroline, the as many as 33 organizations, from women’s organizations to environmental organizations, participated in the rally. The participants expressed eight demands that focused on equal rights for women.
“The point is that we want to create a forum to discuss this issue. After this, we’ll find out what we can do to improve women’s rights in the future,” Caroline added.
The Women’s March Jakarta also featured art performances, including traditional dances and music performances. Participants also conduct sefies with their banners.
EGI ADYATAMA
