VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The United Nations is paying special attention to International Women's Day, 9 March. This year the UN published a report on the importance of paying attention to women who are suffering from conflict and war, as well as the impact of Covid19 Pandemic.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) is particularly concerned with refugees in Yemen. According to UNOCHA, the prolonged conflict in the Middle East, especially in Syria, has displaced 4 million people mainly to Yemen. Of the millions of refugees, nearly three quarters are women and children. These women are forced to struggle to support their families in the midst of suffering in refugee camps.

Attention to women in various countries is also given by the World Health Organization, WHO. It has issued a statement which is very concerning. The UN agency says one out of three women across the globe has suffered from physical or sexual violence in her lifetime. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, revealed that there was a surprising data showing that violence against women increased in number during the Covid 19 pandemic.

In connection with this sad reality, both UNOCHA and WHO are calling for steps to defend women's rights and strive to create an equal future for them. In addition to calling for prevention of the suffering of women, especially in refugee camps, as well as violence in everyday life, the UN asks governments of various countries to make efforts from an early age. A concrete step that can be taken is to instill awareness of women's equality since in school. Through educational programs, male students are given an understanding and awareness of the importance of equality for women.

The notes issued by the United Nations agency in the context of World Women's Day certainly need the attention of governments around the world. Whether it's in developed, developing and economically underdeveloped countries, as well as countries hit by prolonged conflicts.

An indication of increasing violence against women during the Covid19 Pandemic, reminding all parties not to only concentrate on health care and prevention against it. It is very important to make efforts to overcome the impacts that arise from an economic perspective. Because as stated by WHO, bad economic conditions can encourage more violence against women.

Indonesian Ambassador to New Zealand, Tantowi Yahya has officially become the first Indonesian Government representative to the Cook Islands.  The inauguration was marked by the submission of a credential from President Joko Widodo to the Deputy Queen of England in the Cook Islands, Sir Tom Marsters, KBE which was held virtually at the Cook Islands High Commission Office in Wellington, New Zealand on Friday (5/3). Ambassador Tantowi handed over the credential letter at a simple ceremony to Sir Tom Marsters represented by the Cook Islands High Commissioner, Elizabeth Wright-Koteka.  On this occasion, Ambassador Tantowi conveyed warm greetings from President Joko Widodo to Sir Tom Marsters.

Ambassador Tantowi in his remarks before high-ranking officials of Cook Islands, who attended the event stated that by the submission of the credential letter, it is hoped that the relationship between Indonesia and the Cook Islands will be further strengthened, particularly cooperation in the trade, tourism, social and cultural sectors.  The Indonesian government is ready to provide development assistance for the Cook Islands.  Besides diplomatic relations, the Indonesian government will keep strengthening people-to-people contacts. Ambassador Tantowi reminded that Indonesia has the largest Melanesian and Polynesian people in the world, who have the same backgrounds as the Cook Islands population.

Moreover, the Indonesian government will also ensure that the Indonesian people in the Cook Islands will contribute in a bid to foster relations of both countries. The Cook Islands is an island nation in the South Pacific region with a population of about 17 thousand people.  The tourism sector is the mainstay of the country's income in which the number of tourists in a year can be 10 times of the population of the Cook Islands.  About 200 Indonesian citizens live in the Cook Islands and most of them work in the tourism sector.

Pulau Air is the oldest train station in West Sumatra. After 44 years, it did not operate, the station will be reactivated. The plan is that the station is used for access to a number of tourism areas. A budget of Rp 40 billion is prepared to revive the Pulau Air Station along a new 2.5 km- rail network to Padang Station. One of them is Muaro Port, which is the entrance to Mentawai Islands. The reopening of Pulau Air Station coincides with the presence of Minangkabau International Airport with airport train facilities, the Minangkabau Express. Quoted from the book History of Indonesian Railways, Pulau Air Station was part of the first railway network on the island of Sumatra. The network was completed in 1891 by Sumatra Staatspoorwegen, the railroad service of the Dutch East Indies government in Sumatra.

This train line starts from Pulau Air Station to Padangpanjang which covers a distance of about 70 kilometers. The line continues to Bukittingi City about 90 kilometers. This route was officially used on October 1, 1892 in conjunction with the operation of the Port of Emmahaven, which is now known as Teluk Bayur Harbor. The existence of this railway network cannot be separated from the existence of a coal mine in Ombilin, Sawahlunto City in 1868 by the leading geologist of the Dutch East Indies, Willem Hendrik de Greve. Initially, the route was used to transport coal, plantation products and passengers to the ports of Muaro and Emmahaven in Padang.

The name 'Padang Station' is the new name for Simpang Haru Station which is the main Minangkabau Express station. The effort to revive the Pulau Air Station train line is not an easy matter. PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) has also replaced all railroad rails with a new model and rebuilt new buildings and guardrails along the railroad tracks. Meanwhile, the old Pulau Air station building has been maintained and added with a new building, which is equipped with a number of facilities, such as the station head's room, a special room for lactation, prayer rooms, toilets, and a new platform. The station is also equipped with parking lots for 15 cars and 40 motorbikes. The station is also the fastest access to the Kota Lama area and Kampung Cina, the heritage tourism object of Padang City.

Indonesian Ambassador to Kenya in Nairobi, M. Hery Saripudin signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the education sector with Rector of Semarang State University (UNNES), Fathur Rokhman on March 4, 2021. The Indonesian Embassy in Nairobi makes efforts to facilitate cooperation between UNNES and universities in providing scholarships. Ambassador M. Hery Saripudi in his statement said that this cooperation is part of the efforts of the Indonesian Embassy in Nairobi to improve educational diplomacy and strengthen relations between Indonesia and countries in the working areas of the Indonesian Embassy in Nairobi, namely Kenya, Uganda, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Providing scholarships for outstanding students in the working areas of the Indonesian Embassy in Nairobi is one of the points of cooperation in the memorandum of understanding. The Ambassador hopes that by bringing foreign students to Indonesia, it is hoped that there will be many alumni who love Indonesia and are willing to help Indonesia's interests abroad.

Indonesian representatives abroad always maintain close relations with their accredited countries, including representatives of accredited countries that overshadow Indonesia. The Indonesian Embassy in Bucharest met the Consul of the Romanian Embassy in Jakarta to improve personal relations between the two parties on March 4. An informal approach is considered very necessary to facilitate various affairs that support diplomatic efforts of both sides. During the meeting, both sides discussed various matters, including the issue of consular services at the Romanian Embassy and the process of applying for Romanian scholarships for Indonesian students which is currently underway. It is hoped that the Romanian Embassy can facilitate visa processing for all Indonesian citizens, including business people who wish to visit Romania in the future.