WOMAN OF ASMAT
(The Picture of Life’s Dimension)
By:
Dewi linggasari
*A not for my children
BACKGROUND
Woman of Asmat are dark picture of life which are
never include on the wall an exhibition with dazzling lights. The most terrible
effect of the three-decade centralization of development, with the obligatory
social intership and bottom-up planning which are stopped, seems to be the most
forgettable phase of history. Probably, the woman it selves do not realaize that
they have been living on a rich land, bordered by the sea which also contains
varied wealth. But until the recent time, when woman have got proper education
right and have reaceh determining political positions, woman in Asmat are still
stuck in domestic life, being pregnant, giving birth, raising children, then go
through jungle to harvest some sagu or web-fishing.
Fulfilling house-needs for the sake of going-on
life is the job os Asmat women, with no expectation. Husband is the head of the
family who give order all the time, in any condition, making or not making an
obligatory living for their family. Women could not deny the husband’s
dictation, they have to obey or their husband would punish them with any kinds
of violence, beaten up and torched until the time of dying.
When outside contact introducing civilization has
not yet been systematically organized, Asmat’s life was hunting anf gathering.
War and cutting off the opponents’ heads were living strategies and proves, of
mankind’s maturity and ability as the head expelling ghosts and devils,
improving their physical strength, sagu forestation, and competing stating
one’s courage to be the leader of war. When such a tradition was still the main
life style, men had permanent job. Rituals were held to give men courage in
war. While women served men in everything men need when the war was on. Woman
were put in a low position and were even lowered by the local culture.
Asmat tribe started their contact with the world
outside systematically, when missionaries made a trip to Asmat,s area in about
1950s. on February 4 th 1953, the first church was opened by Pastor Zegwasrd
and Pastor Welling. At that time, the habit of doing war and cutting off heads
still rooted in their tradition, and so was polygamy. Following Mansoeben,
Pastor Zegwaard’s report revealed that, in 1952 in the countryside of Syuru,
from 101 married men, there were 42 men practiced polygamy (1995: 77). The fact
such as that is understood that polygamy was caused by the war among rural
societies. According to the census of 1980 Asmat inhabitants were 45.446 lives
which spread in four governmental areas that are: Agats, Sawa Erma, Atsy, and
Pantai Kasuari. Agats people were counted 6.032 lives in the late 1990s, and
were consisting of 3.329 men and 3.052 women. Although the numbers of woman
decreased, poligay was still happening, while the violence occurring in family
completed the complication which women should deal with.
Children, as the national aspiration, are the
first victims of household violence, they not getting full security and
education which is considered proper. The building of human resources quality
in order to change the life’s prosperity od asmat was also pawned. With no
voice, the woman have spoken that t hey could not bear the burden of life in
solitude. In the family life, women are supposed to be ‘a burdened horse’, and
‘burdened horse’ is not the stiff hand which turns children into proper human
resources. Asmat move slowly. Programs which were applied with the up-down
system, done without any survey or observation, could not succed to break the
social lock-up. Women of Asmat take all risk from this non-synchronized
circumstance. It there any resolution?
Tens of years after the development centralization
which ended on crisis of monetary and is followed by reformation, the life in
Asmat’s area seemed to be choked, loosing ground, and broken apart. The misery
of life ontimually lasts as an ember in a bunch of husk that gentle wind-blow
be enough to fire it up. A criticl situation which was flavored with chaos and
tension, affected the forward movement of social contruction seemed to be
ceased. Woman of Asmat carried heavier load, because of the expense of the
primary need. Once again, they had no choice, expert carrying the whole of
life’s burden, every single day. Arguing and fighting became a sort of
expression to spit the anger out. Finally, automatic goverment was formed a
more-directed developing concept.
Hoe, though vague, started to appear. Time showed
all proves. Lon process with work hardwas a guarantee of a change. Endeavoring
asmat woman, to trn them into the tough hands for the building of the
continuing generation, was not simply a package of applied program which can be
report throught some fictious account of
responsibility –SPJ—as job’s formality. Change requires some amount of
resonsibility, full involvement of all sides, and continuity, but not only
formality.
This writing bring forward the life of Asmat woman
surrounded by problem. Part 1 includes early marriage, health, and violence
against women. Part 2 discusses on Asmat women’s efforts in working to make
money. Part 3 discusses on hope of changes. The
data collection was made through an observing participation since the
middle of 1996, when the writter started to work as a Representative of Family
Planning Field Worker in Agats unitil it
was finished. Statistic data functions as complementary to support this writing
in whole.
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