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Women hope Indonesian election breaks them into boys' club
More than 200 million people are eligible to vote in the February 14 election, with slightly more than half of them women, according to the country's election commission, yet only a handful of women represent them in parliament.
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This photo taken on January 19, 2024 shows Anindya Shabrina Prasetiyo, a Labour Party legislative candidate in the upcoming general election, attending a rally by traditional vendors in front of City Hall in Surabaya. (AFP/Juni Kriswanto)
Indonesia's election lineup next month will be dominated by men, but a number of women are trying to break into a political scene long overshadowed by patriarchal elites.
More than 200 million people are eligible to vote in the February 14 election, with slightly more than half of them women, according to the country's election commission, yet only a handful of women represent them in parliament.
"We have a lot of dedicated and capable female politicians, but there are still many who consider women weak and lacking leadership qualities," legislative candidate Lingga Permesti told AFP from the town of Klaten, where she is running for a seat.
"That is the reality, especially in (rural) regions," the 37-year-old said.
Indonesia, long known for its political nepotism, has had one woman president -- Megawati Sukarnoputri, the daughter of Indonesia's founding father and first president Sukarno.
But she was not directly elected, rising to the highest office from the vice presidency after the removal of Abdurrahman Wahid in 2001. While her party retained high levels of popularity tied to her father's legacy, she lost two subsequent presidential races.
In next month's vote, all 18 political parties contesting 580 lawmaker seats have collectively met a mandated nationwide quota of 30 percent women contenders, according to the election commission's final list.
