“Corona Is Like Your Wife”: Anger Over Indonesia Minister’s Sexist Remark

An Indonesian minister is under fire for quoting a meme that compared coping with coronavirus to a husband coping with his wife, sparking accusations of misogyny,ABC news reported.

Women’s groups and social media users slammed the apparent joke by security minister Mohammad Mahfud MD, who made the comments during an online address to a local university earlier this week.

“Are we going to be holed up forever? We can adjust to the situation while still paying attention to our health,” the minister said on Tuesday.

“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.”

Critics panned the remarks as sexist and said it underscored Jakarta’s weak response to the virus outbreak.

“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,” Women’s Solidarity group chief executive Dinda Nisa Yura said in a statement.

Mahfud’s office did not respond to a request for comment Friday.