Indonesian Minister Compares Women To Coronavirus

In a bid to allay the fear of Indonesians after the government announced the relaxing of restrictions in the Southeast Asian nation, the Minister of Security, Mohammad Mahfud, has been under heavy fire for comparing the coronavirus pandemic to women

He had joked, “Are we going to be holed up forever? We can adjust to the situation while still paying attention to our health.

“The other day I got a meme from my colleague… that says: Corona is like your wife. Initially, you tried to control it, then you realise that you can’t. Then you learn to live with it.”

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The joke has been described as sexist by critics, also stating that it stressed the country's anemic response to the pandemic.

Reacting to the statement, Chief Executive, Women’s Solidarity group, Dinda Nisa Yura, said, “This statement not only reflects the superficial power of the government to solve the Covid-19 pandemic problem but also shows the sexist and misogynistic mindset of public officials."

The Indonesian Government seeks to reopen its economy, hoping that the pandemic that forced global economies to come to a halt will not cripple the Indonesian economy that stands as the biggest economy in the Asian southeastern region.

There are 24,000 coronavirus cases in the country, with 1,496 fatalities.