REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) opened the International Young Muslimah Forum, held by the Fatayat Nahdlatul Ulama organization at the Aryaduta Hotel Jakarta on Wednesday night. In his opening remarks, the head of state expressed his appreciation for the role women in Indonesia.

"Therefore, I placed nine women ministers in the Working Cabinet," President Jokowi said, noting that the nine female ministers differed in character, from soft-spoken to fierce.

"Some of the women ministers in the Working Cabinet are gentle, like Health Minister Nila Moeloek, but some are fierce, like Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, who has sunk more than 300 ships involved in illegal fishing," Jokowi said.

Further, he added that there were some who never gave up in international dialogues, such as Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.

"The foreign minister is sometimes gentle, but in international dialogues she never retreats," Jokowi said at the event, which was also attended by Retno Marsudi.

The Head of State mentioned that in winning 31 gold medals at the 2018 Asian Games, 12 medals were won by female athletes. "I am amazed and very proud of Indonesian spider-women, who were so fast in wall climbing," Jokowi said.

Besides Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, the International Young Muslimah Forum was also attended by Minister of Religion Lukman Hakim Syaifiddin, Chairman of the PBNU KH Marsudi Suhud and Chairperson of Fatayat NU Anggia Ermarini.

Anggia Ermarini said the International Young Muslimah Forum was organized by Fatayat NU to improve cooperation among Muslim women throughout the world. "The forum aims to build business, and to strengthening women's leadership, women's economic empowerment, and friendly da'wah," she said.

The forum was attended by 200 participants, 30 of whom were from abroad, such as Germany, America, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iran, Hong Kong, and Azerbaijan.

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