VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Delegates of the ASEAN Committee on Women (ACW) and the ASEAN High-Level Dialogue Conference, Wednesday, visited Sinduharjo Village, Sleman to learn about the village that was named as the peace village.

They tried gejog lesung, a traditional musical instrument, in Sinduharjo Village, Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta. Guided by the founder of the Wahid Foundation, Zanuba Arrifah Chafsoh or Yenny Wahid, the ASEAN delegates seemed happy to try the traditional Javanese musical instrument.

Not only learning about local culture, the delegates also learned about women's economic empowerment in Sinduharjo village, which was declared the Village of Peace. Yenny Wahid told the media that the concept of a peaceful village studied by the ASEAN member delegates originated from an idea conceptualized by the Wahid Foundation to empower women without abandoning existing cultural values.

"This is also of course we have to transmit ideas using the language they understand, it can be local language of course, but also use religious jargon, use customary jargon, so use the language they understand too," Yenny Wahid said.

"We don't bump into them. But we communicate by using the values that they already believe in, but we try to change slowly or perfect it by showing that when facilitating women it is not against religion, not against custom, not against family needs, that the mother is still there for her children," she said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Regent of Sleman, Danang Maharsa, on the same occasion mentioned that Sleman's women and children empowerment continues to receive national recognition. This proves that many women's empowerment and child protection programs are running well.

Representatives of delegations from ASEAN member countries discussing women's empowerment issues were gathered by the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection to attend the ASEAN Women, Peace and Security Summit Forum which took place in Yogyakarta from July 3-7, 2023. This activity was held in the framework of Indonesia's role in the Chairmanship of ASEAN 2023. (RRI Yogyakarta/Rosi/AHM)