The United States of America (USA) Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs oversees and coordinates U.S. foreign relations on a variety of human security issues across the globe — democracy, human rights, population, refugees, trafficking in persons, rule of law, counternarcotics, crisis prevention and response, and water security. During her visit to Bali with the State Secretary, Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero met with several Balinese icons, including respected spiritualist Professor Luh Ketut Suryani. The group talked about problems faced by women, including those related to health, economy and environment.
“I am really pleased to hear your explanations about what you have been doing all this time. I think what you’ve been doing is really important,” Otero said Sunday at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Bali, as she opened the coffee discussion. She added that she was interested in Suryani’s explanation regarding mental health issues in Bali. Professor Suryani, explained that many Balinese suffered chronic mental health problems, especially after several terrorist bombings in the province.
She also raised the issue of the “misconception” of women’s emancipation. “All this time the conception of women’s emancipation had always referred to the western concept, which defines it as equal rights between women and men. But in Balinese culture it means a harmonization of roles between women and men,” Suryani said. Outside influences from the West and Java, have generated a lot of confusion for Balinese women. The problem is that the values underlying these ideas for emancipation clash with Balinese values and lead to confusion and misunderstanding. The advocated emancipation neglects the essential elements needed to harmonize it with Balinese values. Balinese people will see women not from their success in carrier but how she can produce a good quality of children and can work as a team with her family. Man is not her enemy. Man and women work in all of their life as partner help and need each other.