Women`s NGO protests launching of `polygamy club`

Bandung (ANTARA News) - A woman`s non-governmental organization, Institut Perempuan, on Monday protested the launching of a "Polygamy Club" at a hotel here on Saturday evening.

"We reject the polygamy club that was launched over the weekend because it has hurt the feelings of women and is a form of violence against women," Elin Rozana, direcor of Institut Perempuan, said here Monday.

She said as an NGO advocating women`s rights, Institut Perempuan saw the formation of the polygamy club in Indonesia as a violation of the international convention on the elimination of all forms of violence against women which was also signed by the Indonesian government.

"The formation of this club is clearly a violation of the convention against all forms of violence against women co-signed by the Indonesian government. One of the forms of violence mentioned in the convention is polygamy," Rozana said.

Another reason Institut Perempuan disapproved of the polygamy club was the many complaints it had received so far about the harmful consequences of polygamy such as the psychological pressures, physical abuse, and abandonment experienced by wives and children.

Asked whether the polygamy club should be dissolved, Rozana said Institut Perempuan had no power to dismantle another roganization.

The Polygamy Club was launched at the Grand Aquila Hotel here on Saturday night at the initiative of Chodijah binti Am, chairwoman of the Malaysia-based Global Ikhwan. The gathering was attended by about 150 people who came from a number of other regions such as Papua, Jakarta , Tasikmalaya, Garut.

In her explanations about the virtues of polygamy, Chodijah said polygamy was "the best way to win God`s love," and the club in Malaysia now had 300 consisting of people from Indonesia, Australia, Singapore, the Middle East, Thailand and other countries.

She said she was planning to set up more club branches in Indonesia, apart from the one in Bandung.(*)