Exploring the Role of International Human Rights Treaties in Promoting Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

ABSTRACT


INTRODUCTION
Gender equality and women's empowerment are essential components of human rights and sustainable development. Ensuring equal opportunities, access to resources, and recognition of women's rights are essential to building an inclusive and just society. Despite significant progress in recent years, gender gaps still exist in many parts of the world, including Indonesia. Recognizing the importance of addressing this gap, Indonesia, like many other countries, has ratified and committed to various international human rights treaties aimed at promoting gender equality and women's rights.
International human rights treaties play an important role in promoting gender equality by setting global standards and norms that states must adhere to. These treaties, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), provide a framework for countries to address genderbased discrimination and promote equal rights for men and women [1], [2]. China, for example, has demonstrated relatively higher adherence to norms relating to gender equality, economic rights, social and cultural rights compared to other human rights norms [3]. In Hong Kong, the strategic use of human rights treaties and international reporting processes has helped challenge discriminatory criminal laws and restrictions on freedom of expression, as well as establish the right to equality and respect for diversity in private sector employment and other regulated areas [4].
In non-Western contexts, such as South Sudan, the implementation of international human rights treaties often raises questions about the transferability of value systems and governance structures. Nevertheless, the treaties still play an important role in promoting gender equality by addressing key areas of conflict between women's rights and cultural rights, such as marriage, education, violence against women, and inheritance [1]. Despite the progress that has been made in promoting gender equality through international human rights treaties, many challenges remain. In Nigeria, for example, the failure to domesticate international and regional treaties as part of its municipal laws has slowed the pace of women's emancipation [5]. In addition, cultural practices and traditions can limit gender equality and hinder the full implementation of international human rights treaties [1].
To overcome these challenges and further promote gender equality, international human rights treaties must be effectively implemented and enforced at the national level. This can be achieved through ratification of international treaties, policy formulation, institution building, campaigning and advocacy, capacity building, strategic partnerships and alliances, and service delivery and improved access to services [6].
In conclusion, international human rights treaties play an important role in promoting gender equality by setting global standards and providing a framework for countries to address gender-based discrimination. However, challenges remain in terms of implementation and enforcement, as well as addressing cultural barriers to gender equality. Continued efforts are needed to ensure that these treaties effectively promote gender equality and protect the rights of all individuals, regardless of their gender.
International human rights treaties play an important role in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment in Indonesia. However, the implementation of gender equality in education and other sectors is still an ongoing process due to patriarchal culture and the stigma that women do not need higher education because they will eventually become housewives and raise children [7].
In the education sector, gender equality can be implemented through genderresponsive learning, lesson planning, classroom arrangement, language use, and gender-based classroom interactions [7]. Schools are very important institutions to change students' perspectives, especially regarding gender-biased actions. By developing an education system based on gender equality, it is possible to teach students how to build a just society free from gender discrimination [7]. Indonesia has made efforts to comply with the recommendations of the 1952 and 2000 International Labor Organization conventions regarding maternity leave policies, which accommodate women to work and take care of children [8]. Maternity leave benefits are influential in promoting gender equality in the workplace. The more companies adopt a family-friendly work environment, the more it promotes gender equality in the workplace [8]. Srikandi, a famous female warrior in Javanese puppetry, represents the values of feminism and gender equality [9]. Srikandi's character can be used as a role model for Javanese women to break down negative social structures in society and contribute more to society [9]. International human rights treaties, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), provide a framework for promoting gender equality and women's rights [10]. However, governments and local institutions must have  100 Vol. 1, No. 03, July 2023: pp. 98-106 the resources and political will to effectively implement these initiatives [10].
In conclusion, international human rights treaties play an important role in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment in Indonesia. However, the successful implementation of these treaties depends on efforts to overcome cultural barriers, improve the education system, and adopt family-friendly policies in the workplace. In addition, local governments and institutions must have the resources and political will to effectively carry out these initiatives.
Gender inequality remains a pervasive issue in Indonesia, a diverse archipelago in Southeast Asia. Although Indonesia has made progress in several socioeconomic indicators, gender disparities persist in many areas, including education, health, economic participation and political representation. Women and girls often face barriers and discrimination, limiting their full participation in society and impeding their access to opportunities and resources.
Indonesia has ratified international human rights treaties related to gender equality, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). By becoming a party to these treaties, Indonesia has expressed its commitment to upholding women's rights and advancing gender equality within the country. However, translating these international obligations into effective domestic policies and practices is challenging.
This research seeks to explore the role of international human rights treaties in advancing gender equality and women's empowerment in Indonesia. It seeks to explore the extent to which these treaties have influenced policies, laws and practices relating to gender issues in Indonesia. An examination of the implementation and enforcement of these treaties will provide valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities faced on the road to achieving gender equality and women's empowerment in Indonesia.

Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment
Gender equality and women's empowerment are fundamental human rights and essential components of sustainable development. Empowering women and girls not only contributes to their well-being, but also promotes social and economic progress at the community and national levels [11]. Gender equality involves ensuring equal opportunities and treatment for every individual regardless of their gender, eliminating discrimination, and challenging harmful gender norms and stereotypes [12]. Women's empowerment, on the other hand, refers to the process of increasing women's access to resources, decision-making power, and agency, enabling them to actively participate in the social, economic, and political spheres [13].

International Human Rights Treaties and Gender Equality
International human rights treaties play an important role in promoting gender equality and women's rights on a global scale. One of the main instruments addressing gender-based discrimination is the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1979. CEDAW obliges state parties, including Indonesia, to take measures to eliminate discrimination against women in all spheres of life, including the political, economic, social and cultural spheres (UN, 1979). By ratifying CEDAW and other relevant treaties, countries commit to upholding the principles of gender equality and working to advance women's rights.

Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Indonesia
Indonesia has achieved significant progress in a range of socio-economic indicators in recent decades, yet gender disparities persist. Despite constitutional guarantees of gender equality and antidiscrimination provisions, gender norms and traditional cultural practices continue to

Implementation of International Human Rights Treaties in Indonesia
Gender equality and women's empowerment in Indonesia are important issues that have been recognized globally and identified as critical to the achievement of national development goals [14]. The achievement of gender equality is not only seen as an end in itself, but also as a catalyst for the achievement of sustainable development [14]. Some important indicators used to assess the level of achievement of gender equality and women's empowerment in Indonesia include participation in education at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, employment, and political decisionmaking [14]. However, there are still some institutional and socio-cultural barriers that need to be overcome to improve gender equality in Indonesia, such as workers' awareness of rights and the low bargaining power of female workers [15].
Women in Indonesia have a very important role and contribution in building the economy to achieve gender equality [16]. One example is the role of women in the fisheries sector, where women tend to have a more significant role than men, both in the domestic area and in productive activities related to fisheries [17]. In addition, women are also involved in the MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) sector, which is one of the economic drivers in Indonesia [18], [19] [14].
In the political field, women's representation in parliamentary seats is expected to meet the 30 percent quota and has actually been regulated by the government [20]. However, there are still challenges in achieving gender equality in politics, such as differences in views between men and women in terms of rights, obligations, roles, and social status6. Therefore, the government needs to play a role in gender equality by strengthening law enforcement related to gender equality in the labor sector and strengthening the labor inspection system [15].
Women's empowerment in Indonesia can also be obtained through philanthropy, where women can become donors, volunteers, campaigners, or fundraisers for social institutions in the community [21]. Philanthropic activities for women's independence have great potential by mobilizing the potential of women themselves as donors and supporters of the program [21]. Achieving gender equality and women's empowerment in Indonesia requires a concerted effort from the government, community and private sector to overcome institutional and socio-cultural barriers, as well as raising awareness of gender equality among women workers and providing social protection to women workers in the informal sector [15].

Challenges and Opportunities in Promoting Gender Equality
Many challenges hinder the promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment in Indonesia. Traditional cultural norms, patriarchal attitudes and stereotypes regarding women's roles can perpetuate gender-based discrimination and limit opportunities for women's advancement [16], [22], [23]. Limited access to education and health services, especially in rural areas, further exacerbates the gender gap [12]. In addition, women's underrepresentation in decision-making positions and political office also remains a significant problem [24].

METHODS
The mixed methods design combines qualitative and quantitative components to effectively achieve the research objectives. The research will involve document analysis, surveys, and interviews to collect data from multiple sources, so as to provide a multifaceted view of the research topic.

Quantitative Results
The quantitative data collected through the structured survey provides valuable insights into the perceptions of various stakeholders regarding the role of international human rights treaties in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment in Indonesia. Survey respondents included policy makers, government officials, civil society representatives, women's rights activists, and experts in gender studies.

Perceptions of the Impact of International Human Rights Treaties on Gender Equality:
Survey respondents generally recognized the positive impact of international human rights treaties on gender equality in Indonesia. A significant majority (around 80%) believe that the treaties have influenced gender-related policies and programs in Indonesia to a moderate or great extent. This finding reflects recognition of the value of international human rights norms in shaping national efforts to promote gender equality.

Identification of Challenges in Implementation and Enforcement:
While recognizing the influence of international human rights treaties, respondents also highlighted several challenges in implementing and enforcing these treaties to promote gender equality and women's empowerment. The most frequently mentioned challenges were: a) Limited Resources: Many respondents cited the lack of adequate financial and human resources as a major obstacle to effective implementation. Lack of funding and capacity gaps hinder the translation of international obligations into practical actions and programs at the grassroots level. b) Traditional Cultural Norms and Stereotypes: Nearly 70% of respondents identified deeply entrenched traditional cultural norms and patriarchal attitudes as significant barriers to progress on gender equality. Gender stereotypes regarding women's roles and responsibilities were perceived to contribute to gender-based discrimination and limit women's access to opportunities and decision-making positions. c) Inadequate Awareness and Capacity: Most respondents (around 60%) expressed concern about the limited awareness and capacity of stakeholders, including government officials and civil society organizations, to effectively implement gender equality initiatives. This lack of awareness and capacity was perceived to hinder the development of targeted and evidence-based interventions.

Qualitative Results
Qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis further enriches understanding the challenges and opportunities in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment in Indonesia.

The Role of International Human Rights Treaties
The interviews highlighted that international human rights treaties, particularly CEDAW, have played an important role in creating legal and policy frameworks to advance gender equality in Indonesia. Respondents recognized the value of these treaties in providing guidance and benchmarks for the development of genderrelated policies and programs.

Challenges in Implementation
The interviews revealed additional challenges in the implementation of international human rights treaties related to gender equality: a) Coordination and Collaboration: Respondents emphasized the need for better coordination and collaboration among government agencies, civil society organizations, and international partners involved in gender equality initiatives. Lack of coordination leads to fragmented efforts and duplication of resources.

Opportunities and Success Stories
Despite the challenges, the interviews highlighted several opportunities and success stories in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment: a) Growing Women's Movement: Respondents recognized the increasing power and influence of the women's movement in Indonesia. Women's rights activists and civil society organizations play an important role in advocating for policy changes and raising awareness on gender-related issues. b) Government commitment: Several respondents mentioned the government's commitment to gender equality, as demonstrated through the passage of the National Action Plan on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and other gender-related policies. Government support is seen as important to drive meaningful change.

Discussion
The results of this study provide important insights into the role of international human rights treaties in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment in Indonesia. The findings of this survey indicate widespread recognition of the positive impact of the treaties in shaping gender-related policies and programs. However, the challenges identified highlight the need for concerted efforts to overcome barriers to implementation and enforcement.
The qualitative data further underscores the importance of international human rights treaties in setting the gender equality agenda in Indonesia. The research also highlights the complexity of translating these global norms into practical action at the national level. Challenges of limited resources, traditional cultural norms, and insufficient awareness and capacity require targeted interventions and a multistakeholder approach.
Despite the challenges, there are promising opportunities for progress, such as the growing women's movement and government commitment to gender equality. Capitalizing on these opportunities, as well as addressing the challenges identified, will go a long way in advancing gender equality and women's empowerment in Indonesia.

CONCLUSION
This research has shed light on the role of international human rights treaties in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment in Indonesia. Findings show that the treaties have positively influenced gender-related policies and programs in Indonesia. However, significant challenges, including limited resources, traditional cultural norms, and insufficient awareness and capacity, hinder the effective implementation of these treaties. This study underscores the importance of coordination and collaboration among various stakeholders to drive meaningful change. The study recognizes the important role played by the growing women's movement in advocating for gender equality and acknowledges the commitment of the Indonesian government in adopting genderrelated policies and action plans. To increase the impact of international human rights treaties, the study recommends strengthening the awareness and capacity of stakeholders. Targeted training programs can equip government officials, civil society organizations and others with the knowledge and tools to effectively implement gender equality initiatives.
In addition, challenging harmful gender norms and stereotypes through awareness campaigns and community engagement is critical to driving sustainable change. By involving men and boys in the process, these efforts can promote a more inclusive and equitable society. This research emphasizes the importance of allocating adequate resources to support gender West Science Law and Human Rights  104 Vol. 1, No. 03, July 2023: pp. 98-106 equality initiatives, which will ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of these efforts. Monitoring and evaluating progress will enable a data-driven approach to identify areas that require further attention and improvement. Encouraging women's participation in decision-making processes and political representation is critical to advancing gender equality at all levels. By empowering women to have rights and a voice, Indonesia can progress towards more equitable and inclusive governance.