Recently, the local government of Batu city in East Java issued an instruction for massage parlors in the area to lock up their masseuses' pants in order to keep the area "squeaky clean" and supposedly to protect the masseuses. Reports say that business owners and their masseuses willingly complied to the instruction. They say that the policy doesn't bother them and they don't mind the lock up, because the feel "safe".
Regardless of their opinion, this "lock up" instruction is a discrimination against woman and a gross violation of human rights. The policy blatantly insults woman as a source of problem, and it implies that we need to put women under our control so that the society won't suffer from immorality. This is a result of old, or maybe even ancient, way of thinking, which sometimes is also supported by incorrect religious interpretations.
Locking up pants is extremely disrespectful to women, whatever the reason is. The local govt feels that they can easily lock up someone's clothing and get away with it. The constitution guarantees that any Indonesian citizen can do any job that doesn't violate the law, and that he/she must be given proper respect for doing so. And don't even try to pull religion into this. No religion will ever approve of gender discrimination and human rights violation. The policymakers must be so stuck in paternalistic point of view that they produce this disgusting crap of a policy.
Approving this action will give way to many other violations. In the future, the govt may even try to wiretap our communications to somehow prevent crimes or peek at our internet activities to prevent immoral behaviour. Maybe the "Russian Idol"s favourite song sums it all: "Every move you make, I'll be watching you"
If the spirit of the policy is really for "safety", they could also put those massage customers' hands in handcuffs so that they can't harass the masseuses, in addition to locking up pants; or maybe less extremely, instruct parlors to install surveillance system in their business. These policies won't insult anyone and doesn't discriminate one sex as a trouble maker. Besides, it will not only prevent crimes such as rape and sexual harassment, but also prevent prostitution practices.
The Woman Empowerment Minister Meutia Hatta commented on the policy and stressed that it should be evaluated. If our leaders and figures are in their right mind, they should be protesting this stupidity too.
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