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ndonesia’s women’s movement has gone through ups and downs since the nation’s first women’s congress was held in 1928.

In its more than 80-year history, it has fought against a deep-rooted patriarchy and political repression under Soeharto, who reduced Kartini, an icon of gender equality in the country, into a mere archetype of a “good women”.

In the reform era, Indonesian feminists thrive thanks to democracy, but the newly acquired political freedom has posed a greater challenge to the women’s movement, as the country’s conservative groups, driven and supported by women, are also seeking to exert their influence on society.

Gadis Arivia, founder of the influential women’s issues journal, Jurnal Perempuan (JP), told The Jakarta Post over the weekend that the country is now seeing the emergence of conservative groups that appear to support women but in fact oppress their rights.

The Family Love Alliance (AILA) is one example, she said.

AILA has requested the Constitutional Court change the definitions of adultery, rape and sodomy in the Criminal Code to outlaw sex between unmarried and same-sex couples. Its petition, if approved by the court, could become a threat to women’s freedom, Gadis argued.

“Young people now have different ways to express their sexual relationships. If [AILA] wants to change this in the criminal code, how many young people will be sent to jail?”

Rita Soebagio, AILA’s chairman, has claimed that the judicial review petition was meant to protect family, especially women and children. “Sexual intercourse outside marriage will bring consequences not only for women but also their children,” she said.

The court has become a new battleground for Indonesian feminists, with feminist organizations and their conservative rivals invited to present their opinions about the issue of sexuality at the court.

On Sept. 8, the Association of Islamic Wives, which supports AILA’s petition, and the Indonesian Women’s Coalition (KPI), which opposes criminalizing extramarital sex, testified at the court on the same day.

A feminist scholar from the University of Amsterdam, Saskia Wieranga, said the rise of conservative groups was a worrying trend.

Some of them, she claimed, had attempted to threaten women’s rights by pressuring them to don jilbab (headscarves). “Jilbab are not an Indonesian tradition,” she said, adding that many Indonesian women should be aware that they are free to choose what they want to wear without being afraid of moral or religious pressure.

“In the Netherlands I defend the right of women to wear jilbab,” she said.

Despite the challenges, Gadis said she was upbeat about the future of the women’s movement in the country. The Jurnal Perempuan Foundation (YHP), which commemorates its 20th anniversary this month, has been introducing and spreading the knowledge of feminism to young people.

The organization is working with universities to teach students to be sensitive to issues of injustice, inequality and unfair gender practices. “These new feminists also include men. We believe that in the 21st century, men already believe that gender equality is important,” she said.

As part of its 20th anniversary commemoration, Jurnal Perempuan held a two-day international conference on feminism in Jakarta on Sept. 23 and 24.

The conference received 102 papers and selected 62 of them. The authors, mostly young people, came from various regions in the country, from Aceh to Papua. A number of international presenters from 10 countries including the US, Hong Kong, Germany and Malaysia also took part.

The conference covered many issues, ranging from relations between religion and feminism, labor rights and local and transnational feminism to the portrayal of women in the media. (win)