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Why feminism in Indonesia is important
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What is feminism? (Shutterstock/File)
W
hat is feminism? How does feminism fare in Indonesia? Does it contradict religious and cultural teachings in Indonesia? What impact does it have on Indonesian women?
These questions keep cropping up every time the word feminism is uttered. In fact, many Indonesians, especially women, still believe that feminism destroys the traditional teachings of culture and religion, that it is a concept of the Western world hell-bent on corrupting Indonesian women and turn them against their men.
In reality, feminist values are alive and well, and have had an impact on the lives of Indonesian women regardless of whether the actors claim to be feminist or not.
Feminism can be traced back to the early 20th century, when Indonesian women were first given the opportunity to attend school. On Dec. 22, 1928, a group of women activists conducted their first ever conference, which later picked up on women’s rights issues, which included polygamous and child marriages, the right to divorce and the right to vote.
Among the women who advanced feminism were Kartini, hailed as being at the forefront of female reformists and nationalists; Rohana Koedoes, a journalist from West Sumatra; Dewi Sartika who spearheaded schooling for women in West Java; Maria Walanda Maramis who fought for the welfare of mothers and girls in North Sulawesi through education and Rangkayo Rasuna Said who was also active in West Sumatra.
What are Indonesian feminists fighting for? From the beginning and until now, Indonesian feminists have struggled to have the rights of women respected and upheld. We want women to have the same rights to education, health, legal access, economic opportunities, and moreover, to have the government recognize and create a space for women in the government’s decision-making process.
We want women to have a choice in terms of marriage and divorce, in terms of determining their health rights, to have equal access to education and health and to have the same access to economic opportunities. We want women to have a voice in government decisions, especially those concerning women and girls. We must have fair and equitable government policies.
