In 1977, the First Lady of the United States occupied the Office of the First Lady which is under the coordination of the presidential staff and is located on the east side of the White House.Â
Then since 1989, the First Lady's role has changed a lot, such as being involved in her husband's political campaigns and becoming a representative to attend official events.Â
After the term of office of a state leader ends or in this case her husband, a First Lady will usually publish an autobiography containing memories of her career while accompanying her husband as a state leader.
Meanwhile in Indonesia, it was known that the First Lady of the second President, Tien Suharto, played an important and crucial role as President Suharto's personal adviser.Â
This shows that the position and authority of the First Lady in Indonesia is not only as a companion and symbol in welcoming various state guests, but also includes other important roles such as influencing policy making by state leaders.Â
It should also be noted that in Indonesia there are no binding regulations regarding whether a state leader must have a wife or a First Lady figure for the country.Â
However, the existence of a First Lady figure in Indonesia is considered important by many people because since the first President, Soekarno, to the current President, Jokowi, there has always been someone accompanying the state leaders.
Along with the development of the times, now there are many activities that the First Lady can attend, especially in international meetings attended by state leaders such as ASEAN, APEC, and the G-20.Â
The host country will always prepare special programs for the wives of state leaders. In the program, they will be invited to take part in various forms of socio-cultural and tourism activities.Â
Until now, the position of the First Lady continues to be highlighted by the public and slowly there is a lot of news about their role and services to the country.
Influential First Lady Figures