While Indonesia Tanpa Feminisme relies on simplistic clichés that paint feminism as “hating men”, feminist movements can more accurately be defined as seeking the social, economic and political equality of the sexes.

At the core of the group’s campaign is an assertion that feminism is incompatible with Islam. This fails to recognize that gender equality is deeply rooted within the Islamic tradition. There are many instances in the history of Prophet Muhammad during which he commanded believers to respect women.

One of the most popular hadiths, as told by Bukhari and Muslim, tells of a man who came to the Prophet and asked him, who is the person most worthy of his respect? The Prophet replied “your mother” three times and then “your father”. There are also many verses in the Quran that do not differentiate between women and men and do, indeed, treat all human beings as inherently equal in the eyes of Allah. The Prophet Muhammad’s wife, Khadija, was a strong, independent and competent businesswoman who played a significant role in supporting Prophet Muhammad’s journey to spread the teachings of Islam.

The Prophet liberated women from slavery and sought to improve women’s rights during his lifetime.

There are countless references within Islam that support gender equality and, therefore, feminism. Understanding the true definition of feminism as seeking the equality of the sexes shows that Islam and feminism are not, in fact, opposing ideologies.

Indonesia Tanpa Feminisme’s slogan “My body is not mine, but Allah’s” deliberately targets the feminist slogan “My body is mine”, which means “My body is not owned by men”. It is a statement of autonomy and agency that rejects the commodification and violation of women’s bodies, such as by sexual harassment and rape.

“My body is mine” in the context of Muslim feminism is therefore not a rejection of faith, but a statement of faith. It is an affirmation that Islam promotes equality, that Islam rejects the commodification and violation of women’s bodies. Further, Indonesia Tanpa Feminisme misinterprets feminists as wanting to be the “same” as men. It is on this basis that they oppose it, as men and women have different, God-given or essential natures (kodrat) in Islam.

However, first, what feminists want is not to be the same as men, but to be equal with men — meaning having equal rights and opportunities, fair treatment and nondiscrimination. Second, the equal treatment of men and women relates to gender roles and not kodrat.

Indonesian feminists explain that kodrat refers only to biological differences in sex, which is distinct from gender roles as constructed by society. Feminists believe that women should not be discriminated against based on society’s gender roles. For example, women should not have to fear violence or persecution in the home, in the workplace or in public based on their gender.

Indonesia Tanpa Feminisme also claims feminism is a Western import. This overlooks the strong feminist traditions in Indonesia, from the well-known symbol of women’s liberation hero, Kartini, to lesser-known historical heroines. The latter includes Acehnese warrior and military leader Cut Nyak Dhien, Queen Siti Aisyah We Tenriolle of South Sulawesi’s Tanete kingdom and North Sulawesi’s Maria Walanda Maramis who advocated women’s suffrage.

Regardless of whether we use the label “feminism”, the nature and content of the feminist movement — properly understood as the pursuit of gender equality — is not a foreign concept but an important part of Indonesian history and society.

Further, contemporary Indonesian feminist institutions and organizations like the National Commission on Violence Against Women and NGO Rifka Annisa have been instrumental to securing the rights that Indonesian women (including those in Indonesia Tanpa Feminisme) enjoy, such as protection against domestic violence.

Feminist groups in Indonesia are continuing to campaign for women’s empowerment and protection, in particular by supporting the Indonesian Anti-Sexual Violence Bill. The bill prohibits and prevents sexual violence such as rape, forced prostitution, sexual slavery and sexual torture. Indonesia Tanpa Feminisme and other such groups, on the other hand, oppose the bill.

In a healthy democracy, there is room for debate on how best to achieve gender equality; however, opposition of the bill by such conservative groups is based on misrepresentation of the content and aims of the proposed legislation. Though some say the Indonesia Tanpa Feminisme movement is negligible, its campaign highlights the need for ongoing education in this area. A lack of understanding among many Indonesians, regardless of faith, has led to misconceptions about what feminism is and why we need it.

Education on gender equality, respecting women and gender roles in society are crucial to overcoming such misunderstandings. To “uninstall feminism” means saying no to equal opportunities for women, to ending discrimination and to stopping gendered violence. We need to install feminism in order to uninstall inequality.

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Balawyn Jones is a PhD candidate and research fellow with the International Law and the Humanities and Australian Research Council at the Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne, Australia. Syahrial holds a master of education from the Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne.

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