Women contributed in the process of transition towards new energy, including in the transportation sector, such as in the adoption of electric vehicles, Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister I Gusti Ayu Bintang Darmawati stated.
“The increase in the women’s use (of transportation) is spiking, not only as passengers but also as drivers. On the other hand, there is nothing that women cannot do, both in terms of involvement and innovation in the cleaner transportation sector, such as electric vehicles. Women, upon being given the opportunity, can definitely do it,” Minister Darmawati remarked during the 2022 Indonesia Electric Motor Show (IEMS) here on Friday.
Darmawati also commended the unified efforts of all sides, including the government, community, and private sector, to pursue the transition to new and renewable energy, such as electrification in Indonesia.
“This (transition from fossil-based fuel vehicles to electricity-based ones) is a necessity to counter global warming, considering that the transportation sector is the second-largest contributor of carbon emissions after the industry,” she pointed out.
Professor of research on the electrochemical process technology at the National Research and Innovation Agency Eniya Listiani Dewi expects women to become more involved in the world of science and technology.
The number of Indonesian women that had graduated with a bachelor’s degree reached over 55 percent, she pointed out.
In 2020, the Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry recorded that the number of students at national tertiary level educational institutions, from academies to state universities, reached 2,925,712, with female students outnumbering their male counterparts.
The 2019 Higher Education Statistics data also showed that the number of female students at state universities reached 1,561,326, while the number of male students totaled 1,364,386.
“The number of Indonesian women, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree, exceeds 55 percent. However, that rate immediately drops when they work, particularly in the science and technology category. Women, who work in science and technology, only reach around 19 percent,” she pointed out.
She admitted that in the agency itself, of the over 14 thousand employees, women constituted 35 percent of their researchers.
However, she was confident that women’s role in science and technology would continue to flourish. This was encouraged by offering facilities, such as flexible working methods and vast access to learning about technology to data analysis.
“It can be a trigger that in the future, women can master and delve into the world of science and technology. Given that, in future, the sought-after (positions) are data and health analysts,” she stated.
“We certainly want the value of women in science and technology or STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Maths) to increase, and women must (be active) in the world of technology,” she concluded.
Source: Antara News