by Joe Cochrane

Indonesia this month has seen a host of attempts by lawmakers and leaders to marginalise or otherwise humiliate women, ranging from proposed legislation banning married women from holding jobs to an Islamic decree requiring “rich” Indonesians to marry “poor” Indonesians.

The senior government minister who proposed the decree on marriage said it could be a way to reduce poverty. About 100 million Indonesians live on less than US$2 a day, in a country rich in natural resources but dragged down by endemic corruption.

Then there was a claim by a commissioner from the Indonesian Child Protection Agency, Sitti Hikmawatty, that women were at risk of being impregnated by swimming in public and private pools due to “strong sperm” in the chemically treated water – despite no pregnancies being reported from this theory or incidents of men ejaculating in swimming pools. Read more via SCMP