Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) Minister Bintang Puspayoga has called on the public to preserve batik by wearing batik clothing on various occasions.
“We should be proud and continue to maintain the preservation (of batik), one of which is by wearing batik on various occasions, thus batik can be preserved,” she remarked in a press release here on Sunday, regarding the implementation of Batik Specta 1000 Style event.
It was held by the PPPA Ministry in collaboration with the Semarang City government, Indonesia’s central bank Bank Indonesia, as well as state-run bank PT Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) on the occasion of National Batik Day, observed on October 2 every year.
The minister continued that batik is an Indonesian cultural heritage which has been recognized nationally and internationally.
She noted that most of batik artisans were women. Thus, her party has expected that the event can increase women’s empowerment in Indonesia.
“Increasing women’s empowerment in the entrepreneurship sector is important to solve other problems, including (sexual) violence, child labor, and prevention of child marriage,” she stated.
Furthermore, Puspayoga also lauded the synergy and collaboration of stakeholders involved in organizing the Batik Specta 1000 Style event as well as the dissemination of information on women’s and children’s issues during the event.
Women and children’s problems are very complex and related to various sectors. Thus, synergy and collaboration are strengths to establish a joint commitment to empower women as well as ensure children’s rights and protection, according to the minister.
The Batik Specta 1000 Style event is being held on October 1 to 9, 2022, in Semarang City, Central Java Province. The activity showcases various Indonesian batik fashion and patterns from Semarang, Solo, Yogyakarta, Pesisiran (coastal areas), and Pekalongan.
Indonesian batik had been recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpieces of The Oral and Intangible Heritage of the Humanity on October 2, 2009.
Source: Antara News