Indonesia opens its first women’s university

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 05/08/2010 10:28 AM

JAKARTA: Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Linda Amalia Sari Gumelar inaugurated the International Women’s University in Bandung, West Java, on Friday.

The first of its kind in Indonesia, the university aims to offer high level education for women, according to the university’s rector Sri Redjeki Sumaryoto.

“We want to increase the number of highly competent, professional women who will work for government bureaucracy, legislative bodies, NGOs and other sectors,” Sri Redjeki told Antara state news agency.

She said the establishment of the university was in line with the law that requires that 30 percent of seats in the government and legislative bodies be allocated to women, whom now make up 51 percent of the whole population. Sri Redjeki said that despite its name, the university would also have male students.

The university will offer undergraduate programs in science and technology, communications and social sciences. — JP