Fransiskus Antonius Mahendra Harimurti, a student of the Multimedia Broadcasting Study Program, Vocational Education Program, Universitas Indonesia (UI), is the only representative from Indonesia to participate in the Global Peace Summit New York 2024. This activity is one of the programs organized by the non-profit organization, Global Peace Chain, which will be held on December 9-12, 2024 in New York, United States.
Some of the agendas that Mahendra will participate in at the Global Peace Summit New York 2024 are workshops related to SDGs, panel talks, discussion sessions, group activities, cross-cultural exchanges, global friendships, leadership development, youth empowerment, and others. Mahendra was selected after passing several stages of selection, including essays, CVs, excitement videos, community activities, and media recognition.
In the event themed “The Role of Women in Politics and Peacebuilding”, Mahendra will raise the issue of gender equality which is also experienced on a global scale, and seek universally effective solutions. According to him, there is an unconscious gender bias that often appears in the surrounding environment, one of which is in the film production process.
“Women are always positioned in less crucial roles and are not included in key production roles. In fact, most of them work carefully and are always on time based on my experience working in a production,” said Mahendra. Some of Mahendra’s short films that collaborated with women, either as directors or assistant directors, are Selametan (2023) and Sahur (2024). Mahendra saw that their potential in key production roles ran smoothly and the results were maximized.
He also highlighted the phenomenon of gender inequality in Indonesia which is more than just a number in statistics, namely the root of the problem that needs to be unraveled one by one. Mahendra said, “For a long time, women in Indonesia have always been associated with domestic roles. However, once they take public positions, their capabilities are always questioned. Until now, women have had to work twice as hard to prove their worthiness. It’s time for us all to leave that mindset behind and create an inclusive environment.”
The film that first inspired Mahendra to raise the issue was Yentl (1983) which was directed and starred Barbra Streisand. At the time, the film did not receive many awards and Streisand received a lot of criticism for her many roles in the film. In fact, many male directors also star in their own films.
In addition, the issue of gender inequality is also a universal issue. Data from the UN Foundation in 2023 stated that 34% of countries in the world prohibit women from working in certain industries. No country has yet fully achieved gender equality.
Even so, countries such as Norway, Sweden, and Finland are leading the development of gender equality. Starting from fair distribution of income, opportunities for all genders, and resources. In fact, there are currently more women pursuing higher education in college than men in the United States.
In Indonesia, according to The Indonesian Film Board, only 10-15% of films are directed by women. When associated with the main characters in the film, there are only 20-30% of female main characters in Indonesian film productions.
“Through this activity, I want to build connections and exchange ideas with people from various backgrounds. This will make it easier for us to create a more effective approach. I also hope to continue the ongoing film discussion forum that raises global issues. I also want to set a precedent for the many roles of women in key production roles. So, there will be more inclusive perspectives in the creative process that will create a respectful and collaborative environment,” said Mahendra.
The various countries that attended the event were Mexico, Vietnam, South Africa, Japan, Algeria, Singapore, Belarus, Nepal, Armenia, and 50 other countries. Mahendra was also the only student from Indonesia in the Youth Capacity and Building Training & Model APEC activity, last July which took place in Taiwan. APEC is an intergovernmental organization that promotes economic development and prosperity in the Asia Pacific region through various projects.
On that occasion, Mahendra, together with students from Taiwan, created a project entitled “Empowering Athlete’s Career Growth: Fostering Mental Well-Being in APEC”. This project aims to build an online community so that athletes can network with fellow athletes and coaches.
