Activists have slammed vice presidential candidate Mahfud MD, calling him sexist and misogynistic, after he suggested that the wives of graft convicts were to blame for their husbands’ offenses.

Mahfud, who is running alongside presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo for the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), told a group of women in Padang, West Sumatra that wives put pressure on their husbands to live beyond their means, causing the men to resort to corrupt actions.

“In many cases, husbands get involved in crimes because their wives are not good,” he said on Sunday during a speech at a prayer assembly in Padang, the capital of the religiously conservative province, where he discussed the importance of women’s role in nation-building.

“Many corrupt officials are now in jail because their wives are demanding. Their salary is Rp 20 million [US$1,400], but their spending is Rp 50 million.”

Mahfud is the country's coordinating political, legal and security affairs minister. 

Maidina Rahmawati of the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform called the candidate's remarks "misogynistic", demanding that he apologize. 

“That’s stereotyping women. Corruption, especially in Indonesia, is systemic and not a domestic matter,” Maidina told BenarNews.

In fact, she said, Indonesia is a male-dominant society that cultivates a desire for influence and excessive wealth.

“Corruption stems from power-hungry people who take advantage of a system that lacks accountability, and also from a patriarchal culture that fosters greed and irresponsibility,” Maidina said.

Achmad Baidowi, a spokesman for Ganjar’s campaign, declined to elaborate on Mahfud’s remarks, merely saying that their team had “many women.”

Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago and Southeast Asia’s most populous country, is notorious for corruption at most levels of society.

Its reputation for deep-seated graft worsened last month when President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo dismissed the chief of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Firli Bahuri, after police named him a suspect in a corruption case. 

Six cabinet ministers in nearly a decade of Jokowi’s tenure have become embroiled in graft cases, fueling criticism that the president has eroded anti-corruption measures during his two terms. 

Siti Aminah Tardi, a commissioner at the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), said a person could turn to corruption because of financial stress in the family, including from his wife.

“But making the wife the main cause of corruption is improper,” Siti said.

“Talking about corruption by emphasizing the wife’s influence on the husband will blind us to other factors such as poor oversight and poor law enforcement,” Siti said.

Iim Fahima, a businesswoman, took a sarcastic shot at male-dominated societies, in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

“Really, men are supposed to be rational beings, but why do they act so irrationally? It is said that men are leaders for women, but why are they easily influenced by their wives?” she asked. 

Meanwhile, one of the two other rival presidential campaigns pounced on the minister for his remarks. 

The campaign spokeswoman for Anies Baswedan likened Mahfud’s comments to statements from people who blame rape victims for wearing revealing clothes.

“That’s very sexist and prejudiced. It’s a common statement in a male-dominated society,” said spokeswoman Eva Kusuma Sundari, who is a former PDI-P politician. 

Indonesia is scheduled to hold presidential and legislative elections on Feb. 14, 2024, with more than 200 million voters eligible to cast their ballots.

The frontrunner in the race to succeed Jokowi is Prabowo Subianto, a former army general and the current defense minister, who is paired with Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the president’s eldest son.

All three candidates have pledged to address women’s issues.

Anies has promised to increase the number of women in the military and the police, as well as in the foreign service. His campaign has also vowed to ensure maternity and paternity leave for parents.

Prabowo has expressed his commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment, but without giving details.

Ganjar said he would expand childcare facilities in the formal and informal sectors to ease the burden on women who work outside the home.

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