Making opportunities to beat the home-based culture.

(From Lloyds List)

Byline: A trade union official explains how women are held back from maritime studies in Indonesia and even when they qualify it is hard to land a job as a seafaring officer

MOTHER and father would far rather their daughters stay at home.

That is still the case in many Indonesian families, says Krisna Dewi, Bali women's co-ordinator for cruiseships for the Indonesian maritime union Kesatuan Pelaut Indonesia

Ms Dewi says there are still too few female seafarers in Indonesia. 'Most of them do not want to go far away from home and leave their family. They are still keeping the tradition about women always being at the back of the man.

'They mostly work only in the house, and they do not want to think ahead.'

Ms Dewi says that in fact it is very important for women to work outside to support the family economically. Many Indonesian women marry at 17 years of age and begin to have children, and most parents think it is a waste of time and money to support their daughters through university or academy.