By I Putu Tirta Agung

Discourse about the role of women and gender issues are being discussed which seems quite warm in the middle of the Indonesian community. Issues of status and position of women in society issues like subordination, marginalization, and oppression such as has been the main topic often mentioned on numerous occasions. Many experts debate the mutual development of gender ideology in Indonesian general who seems implicitly condone discrimination, locking the world of women in the domestic sphere, while men controlled mengamini pubic sphere. Culture patriarkipun visible part reinforce the role of this dichotomy, cornering women on the social realities is more complicated. As a result, he often used as a source of impoverishment of all the problems faced by women (Muhadjir, 2005: 166).

In fact, should the role of women are not just limited to the domestic sphere alone, but also independently has a real contribution, participating in the competition to enliven the public sector. Therefore, it can not be denied again that Indonesian women today are very potential to become the main motor driving the family economy. Not only wrestling in the formal sector, through persistence and perseverance, now Indonesian women in the sector achievement informalpun, both small and medium businesses, is one thing that ought to be proud. The reason according to a study in 2006, from about 40 million micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia, 60% of them driven by women (Tim exposure, March 2008). Just a pity, again because of the strong patriarchal culture in Indonesia is often negated the reality was, looking at all the achievements of Indonesian women no more than an additional wage earner.

Like other regions in Indonesia, Bali with the cultural consistency patriarkinya also harbored its own story about the role of women. Based on 2006 statistics, the overall estimated total population of 3.4426 million people of Bali, consisting of male population of 1.7243 million and 1.6983 million female population (Government of Bali Province, 2006). This indicates that 49.62% of the total population, or nearly half of the people of Bali are women. This means that here, bali women should keep sufficient potential to support regional development. But what power due to the fact the other speaks, rather than being potentially marginalized women tend to Bali instead.

If in the previous paragraph we know that approximately 60% of the nearly 40 million MSMEs entrepreneurs are women, so if you see the reality of the growing might of Bali in supporting women's contribution can be said that number is very small. How not, the number of illiterate female population in Bali in 2005 in the range of 5.47%, very much when compared to male population is only 1.62%. Comparison of residents who had completed bachelor degree (S1) in Bali between men and women equally surprising, 6.7%: 4.9%. Likewise with labor force participation rate (TPAK), only 66.8% of women in Bali who can be said of earning and income, while the rest are vulnerable to poverty (CBS, 2006; 65).

Indeed, the actual people of Bali are still covered by a strong patriarchal culture, has always placed the position of women under men. Generally for the people of Bali, the glory of the family will be achieved only through one or several sons. Thus the demands of culture "purusa", men are the keepers of the continuity of a clan that is morally charged ceremony "Pitra Yadnya '(holy offering aimed at parents and ancestors). Using other words, the Balinese believe that only a boy who can rescue her parents from the cruelty of hell. While for women of Bali, since I was a teenager, they are conditioned and accommodated in the concept "Yadnya Sesa" (all the ritual ceremony) continuously, with no clear boundary between the customs and religion. The ideology of this kind it is definitely bad implications for the social role of women in Bali.

The situation in the course is supported by some of the terminology that it reinforces the social status of women bali subordiansi under menfolk. Let's say, the term "pengayah" (waiter) which is given by the husband to the woman who will or already married. There is also the term "tetekan" (immigrants without resources), which is typically given to women who live in homes owned by the husband's family. Then, reality inter-caste marriages often also disturb the atmosphere, because the impact is very detrimental to women. In fact, so strong affirmation of social roles of women in Bali, may not be an overstatement to say that the world of women in Bali is always locked up by the various concepts of "purusa", which eventually forced them into shapes without resources and without dignity.

Downloaded from: Jangkang Research Institute, Bali

Bibliography

1. Muhadjir, 2005, Country and Women, CV. Clean city, Yogyakarta.
2. Export Team, March 2008, CSR for SMEs Pempuan Empowerment, EXPORT Edition 39, Year VII, http://www.bexi.co.id/images/_res/AnalisaPeristiwa-39-CSR% 20Untuk% 20Pemberdayaan% 20Perempuan% 20UKM.pdf , 23/11/2008.
3. The Provincial Government of Bali, in 2006, Regional Profiles of Bali, http://www.baliprov.go.id/informasi/profil/ , 11/19/2008.
4. BPS, 2006, Poor Households Data Collection In the province of Bali.