Not just complementary, Cirebon City Government Encourages Women to Become Activators of Political Literacy

CIREBON, Kontroversinews, Com.– The noisy political dynamics in a democratic party should not place women only in the ranks of the audience or simply as targets for gaining votes. The Cirebon City Government emphasizes its commitment to changing this paradigm, ensuring that women are present as intellectual actors who are able to influence the direction of regional policy. This concrete step was emphasized in the forum on strengthening women in the Indonesian political constellation which was held at the Cirebon City KPU, Tuesday (30/12/2025).

Deputy Mayor of Cirebon, Siti Farida Rosmawati, stated that women’s involvement is the main pillar in determining the direction of regional development. According to him, women’s perspectives bring a strong touch of empathy to issues of family welfare, education and microeconomics which are the lifeblood of society.

“On behalf of the Cirebon City Government, I express my highest appreciation to the KPU. This event proves our shared commitment to dissect the role of women, not just as a complement, but as the main pillar of democracy. We can no longer view women’s involvement only in terms of quantity or simply fulfilling the 30 percent quota on the list of legislative candidates,” said the Deputy Mayor in his speech.

Furthermore, the Deputy Mayor emphasized the importance of substantive representation. He realizes that cultural barriers and gender stereotypes are still real challenges. However, he is optimistic that through forums like this, Cirebon City women can navigate these obstacles to create public policies that are more inclusive and sensitive to the needs of grassroots communities.

“Today’s politics requires a touch of human values ​​and honesty. I believe, if more women with intelligence and integrity occupy public office, decision making will be of higher quality. Without the active role of women, our democracy is like a bird that flies with one wing, it will never reach its maximum height,” he added bluntly.

In line with this, the Chairman of the Cirebon City KPU, Mardeko, presented data showing a positive trend in women’s involvement in the Cirebon City parliament. Based on KPU records, the trend of women occupying seats in the Cirebon City DPRD continues to experience quite encouraging increases from period to period.

“In the 2019-2024 period, the figure for women’s representation in the Cirebon City DPRD has increased significantly to reach 34 percent. This is already above the minimum quota threshold. Even in the executive ranks, our current Deputy Mayor is a female representative. This shows that the involvement of women in Cirebon City is extraordinary,” explained Mardeko.

However, Mardeko provided critical notes for political parties ahead of the upcoming contest. He revealed that during the registration period for legislative members, there were still political parties that had difficulty meeting the quota of 30 percent of women on the list of prospective candidates. This is a big challenge for the party to carry out cadre formation from an early age.

“This is an important note for facing the upcoming 2029 elections. We hope that in the future, the registration of legislative members from women can meet expectations. Facts on the ground show that the more women who register and are actively involved, the higher the likelihood of being elected,” he said.

Through this study, Mardeko hopes that new female figures will emerge who are ready to bring positive change and become provisions for female activists or politicians to face future political dynamics.

“Of course in a dignified, polite manner, but still competitive for the progress of Cirebon City,” he concluded.

(Laugh)