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‘Moms for Ganjar’ demonstrate the politics of housewives ahead of elections
Thousands of housewives across Indonesia have come out in recent weeks to declare support for Ganjar Pranowo’s presidential bid, while experts ponder on the role of housewives in local politics.
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A volunteer with the Mak Ganjar (Moms for Ganjar) support group hands out packages of staple goods and merchandise to the local women in Tapong village in Bone, South Sulawesi on July 8, 2022. (Antara/Abriawan Abhe)
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housands of housewives assembled last Tuesday in East Java to hold mass prayers in support of Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo’s bid in the upcoming 2024 presidential election, accompanied by ustazah (female Islamic scholars) who led religious chants.
Dressed uniformly in white, the group, which goes by the name Mak Ganjar (Moms for Ganjar), hailed from the capital Jakarta and its surrounding satellite cities.
Evy Nafisah, the coordinator for Greater Jakarta’s Mak Ganjar assembly, said the event was a “spiritual initiative” to help ensure success and favorable luck for Ganjar’s presidential endeavor. Noting that the 53-year-old politician has always aced electability polls, Evy said that she perceived Ganjar as sensitive to domestic interests such as affordable and stable commodity prices.
“Ganjar’s victory in the presidential election will be a triumph for all housewives as well,” she said, as quoted by Tempo.
Before its most recent rally in Jakarta, members of the group from other cities had assembled in their hundreds and even in the thousands to declare their support in Central Java, East Java, South Sulawesi, Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). Apart from gathering for mass prayers, the ladies have also reportedly taken up other activities from organizing bazaars to aerobics sessions and beauty classes.
Evy explained that most of the Mak Ganjar groups across Indonesia were formed through social media, where housewives bonded over their support for Ganjar before deciding to meet in person. She added that none of the Mak Ganjar members had been in contact or even met with the potential presidential candidate.
While a proportion of their members are not politically savvy, the group coordinator noted that most if not all of them were motivated by the media coverage of Ganjar, whose popularity has been on an upward trend over the past few years. Experts have previously credited this recognition to effective public relations and social media legwork.
