Two Indonesian women peace activists have won the 2013 N-Peace Awards for their efforts to promote women's equality and protection of women against discrimination.

“The N-Peace Awards for Indonesia this year is awarded to Bapak Suprayoga Hadi and Ibu Valentina Sagala,” United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Communication Associate, Tina Kardjono, in a press statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Here, in Indonesia's second-largest city, legend tells of a titanic battle between Sura, the great white shark, and Baya, the crocodile. Meeting in a river one day, the two creatures fought ferociously for supremacy of the animal kingdom. The place where they clashed became known as "Surabaya," the city of the shark and the crocodile, emblematic of the repeated waves of colonial sharks and crocodiles that have controlled the city for centuries.

The 30 percent quota requirement for women was legally reaffirmed by the Constitutional Court earlier this year.

This is certainly good news for women hoping to run for seats in the upcoming legislative election, as the ruling has reinforced the role of women in public policy making.

But, almost all political parties have complained about the difficulties in reaching the quota.

KUCHING:More needs to be done to promote gender equality to strengthen women’s representation and allow women equal access to decision-making positions at all levels of society. Highlighting this yesterday, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Fatimah Abdullah said women still face significant barriers to full and equal participation in the structures and institutions governing their lives.