Ali
Bogheiry1, M. Thaha2, Laila
Rahmah3
Department of International Relations, Ahlul Bayt
International University, Tehran1,2
School of
Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences3
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Introduction: This study discusses the
role of feminism and women's representation in general elections in Indonesia,
especially what happened in the Simultaneous Regional Election of Makassar City
in 2018, where two women were asked to become candidates for Deputy Mayor. Method: The author uses
descriptive qualitative research and has conducted observations, direct
interviews, documentation, audio, and visual materials. Result: The result of this
study, based on the Final Voter List, is that women (507,487 female voters) are
more optimal in exercising their voting rights in the Regional Head Elections
in Makassar compared to men (483,349 people). Conslusion: Interviews show that
women are highly expected in elections where society wants leaders who can
understand mothers' and women's issues. This phenomenon is expected to ignite
the spirit of women's participation in elections. Representation of women gives
a new color to political strategy, especially in socialization and political
communication activities.
Keywords: feminism, politics,
women's representation, Simultaneous Regional Elections, Indonesia.
Corresponding Author: Ali
Bogheiry
E-mail: [email protected]
INTRODUCTION
According to Mansour (Mansoer Fakih, 2016) in his book entitled Shifting Conceptions of Gender
and Social Transformation, feminism is a unified social movement and awareness
that is mutually sustainable, based on various acts of violence that befall
women, such as oppression and exploitation. As a social movement, feminism has
had various impacts, ranging from reform of perspective, and resistance to
gender injustice to the struggle for the recognition of women's rights (Sen & Grown, 2013).
Building civil society is the same as fighting for
community space, including all Indonesian people, both men, and women (Fauzan, 2017). One of the implementations of feminism in Indonesia
is to fight for gender equality in the representation of women in the political
space. With political representation, the role of women can be increased to
build the country. In a country that adheres to a patriarchal value system,
such as Indonesia, women's opportunities to become politicians are relatively
limited due to public perceptions of the division of roles between men and
women, which tend to be biased towards limiting women's roles to household
affairs or domestic affairs only (Inglehart et al.,
2003).
The issue of women's representation in politics in
Indonesia has become an important discourse to increase women's political
participation in every election. One of the main topics of discussion in this
article is the representation of women in the 2018 Simultaneous Regional Head
Elections in Makassar, namely two Makassar women who bravely participated in
the election of deputy mayor of Makassar, Andi Rachmatika Dewi, and Indira
Mulyasari Paramastuti.
In addition, the city of Makassar has a great
opportunity to make a history of new women leaders even though they are Deputy
Mayors when compared to the previous leaders, which are continuously occupied
by men, both Mayors and Deputy Mayors. This is a big breakthrough for every
Makassar woman, so they can dare to be directly and actively involved in every
democratic party in Indonesia. The courage and persistence of the two women led
to the success of the Makassar regional election where their experiences can be
used as examples, and become knowledge, as well as new political capital to
increase the chances of female candidates in the future (Maguire, 2018).
Today, with all the openness and freedom of opinion
accompanied by responsibility, the struggle for gender equality defenders is
still underestimated (Fata, 2014). Outdated views about women having to take care of
domestic and kitchen affairs still haunt the struggles of the feminism movement
in Indonesia, even though there are so many women who have occupied crucial
positions in everyday life, especially in government to overcome various
problems in social life and state (Iswary & Hum,
2010). Therefore in this article,
some questions arise such as, how is the representation of women in the 2018
Simultaneous Regional Elections in Makassar City? How are feminism in Indonesia
and its role in elections?
METHOD
In this article,
the author uses a descriptive qualitative type of research on how much effort
Makassar women make to be actively involved in the democratic party or
Simultaneous Regional Elections in 2018. The primary data collection technique
consists of 4 types, namely: observation, and direct interviews with two women
as candidates for Deputy Mayor. and several women as representatives of the
Makassar community, documentation, audio, and visual materials (Creswell, 2010).
While secondary data is obtained from various theoretical
foundations on feminism, women's representation in politics, and data from
government agencies or research locations. In data collection and data
analysis, the researcher is the main instrument (Noble & Smith, 2015).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
A. Feminism in Indonesia
Feminism can be understood as a study (paradigm) as well
as a methodology that aims to reveal that in social, cultural, political
realities, and so on, there are gender inequalities, unequal relations between
men and women, oppression of women, incorrect stereotypes attached to women,
and political domination (Tong & Botts, 2018).
Apart from being a study and methodology, feminism is
also a social movement that fights for the rights and dignity of women (Fischer & Dolezal,
2018).
The modern Indonesian women's movement began in the early
1900s, starting from pre-independence until Indonesia's independence was opened
by the thoughts of R.A. Kartini. Along with the growth of nationalism in the
country, which was marked by the establishment of nationalist organizations
initiated by a handful of educated Indonesians. The establishment of the first
Indonesian women's organization, Putri Mardika (1912), could not be separated
from the national and even international movements that fought for
emancipation, nationalism, and against colonialism (Haq, 2021).
After that, various women's organizations emerged that
were part of the nationalist movement such as Jong Java Meiskering, Women
Oetomo, Wanito Muljo, Aisyiah (1917), Young Javanese Girls
Circle, Poetry Indonesia, Catholic Women, Jong Islamieten Bond, and
others.
The quality of women's consciousness was crystallized in
the political consciousness expressed in the Women's Congress held on 22-25
December 1928 in Yogyakarta. This congress argued that equality would be
achieved in an uncolonized society. Since then, the Indonesian women's movement
has entered period after period (Rad et al., 2019)
December 22, which is the start date of the first women's
congress, is celebrated as National Mother's Day until now.
Feminism as a social movement has the goal of gender
equality. Currently, the issue of gender equality has become prominent in the
development platform, not only in Indonesia but also in the world. Based on
gender equality index data, released by the United Nations Development Program
(UNDP), Indonesia is ranked 103 out of 162 countries, or the third lowest in
ASEAN (Winahyu, 2020). This shows the reality on the ground that currently,
Indonesian women are still lagging behind men, both in the fields of education,
health, economy, and representation in politics. According to data from the
World Bank, Indonesia
is ranked 7th in Southeast Asia for women's representation in parliament. The
low number of women's representation in parliament has more or less influenced
policy issues related to gender equality and has not been able to respond to
the main problems faced by women (Priandi & Roisah,
2019).
The contemporary women's movement in Indonesia faces
various challenges. According to the National Commission on Violence Against
Women (Komnas Perempuan), since the reformation 154 regional regulations
have been passed that discriminate against women. Starting earlier this year,
seven provinces and 16 districts across Indonesia still enforce discriminatory
local regulations (Azriana et al., 2017). In addition, some challenges are not
easy to overcome in dealing with the low representation of women, such as the
persistence of strong resistance, especially from religious fundamentalist
groups, conservatives, and right-wing populism who generally reject issues of
sexuality, reproductive rights, and women equality who directly influence the
dynamics of how women are involved in practical politics (Fischer & Dolezal,
2018).
The reality in Indonesia at this time, feminism is
expressed by various parties ranging from grassroots to policymakers. One of
the fresh air for feminism and the women's movement in Indonesia is the
increasing number of female leaders and women's representation in the
legislative sector which is directly proportional to the quality of a healthy
state (BlackChen, 2015). In 2019, the number of female members of the House of Representatives
of the Republic of Indonesia (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat
Republik Indonesia, DPR-RI)
increased presentation from the previous period, although this increase in
presentation had not yet reached the minimum quota of 30% female
representation. The representation of female members in 2019 reached 20.9%, an
increase compared to 2004, 2009, and 2014 (Iriansyah, 2017).
According to a study by the Conservative Westminster
Foundation for Democracy (WFD) in 2021, female legislators are proven to do
more constituent work than male legislators. More female political leaders are
also positively correlated with lower levels of corruption in the countries
studied. In addition, when women lead, the formation of policies prioritizes
women's interests, and social protection issues propose, and passes
women-friendly policies. This shows that women's representation plays an
important role in the implementation of feminism in Indonesia. If women get
equal opportunities and roles with men, then the potential for human resources
in Indonesia will be much greater, and this will benefit and benefit the
nation's development.
B. History of the Women's Rights and Movement in Indonesia
At the time of Soekarno (Indonesia's first President),
named the "Old Order" era, women's rights had been recognized in
politics, either the right to vote in the 1955 general election or to sit as
members of parliament. For example, Wanita Marhaen is the political wing
of the Indonesian National Party, Indonesian Women's Movement (Gerwani),
Indonesian Women's Congress (Kowani), and the Union of Indonesian Women
(Perwari). At that time there was also a lawyer with the nuances of
gender justice, namely Law 80/1958. The law prescribes the principle of equal
pay for equal work and that women and men are not differentiated in the pay
system. The issuance of the law is one example of the success of the women's
movement (Jovani, 2014).
However, not all women's struggles have succeeded in
achieving the expected ideal situation, for example ending the practice of
polygamy that violates women's rights to equality in marriage. This is a
consequence of the subordination of the struggle for gender interests under the
nationalism project that must be borne by the women's movement, including
socio-religious organizations such as Fatayat (Nahdlatul Ulama),
Catholic Women, Aisyiah (Muhammadiyah), and so on (Haq, 2021).
The appearance of Suharto as the second president to
replace Soekarno or the so-called "New Order" era following the
Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) rebellion in 1965 and the anti-Soekarno
student movement in 1966 had its meaning for the women's movement.� In the New Order, there are many records of
human rights violations experienced by Indonesian women as a result of the
authoritarian New Order government power system. At the beginning of the New
Order era, the women's movement underwent a process of domestication with
implications for taming, segregation, and depoliticization. The political
climax included the case of Marsinah, a woman activist who was found dead in a
tragic condition after being missing for three days, on May 8, 1993 (Arivia & Subono,
2017).
Due to these incidents of human rights violations,
several feminist organizations, directly or indirectly, began to carry out
various anti-New Order political tactics and movements. This increasingly shows
its shape after Dharma Wanita (1974) and Dharma Pertiwi (1974)
were inaugurated as an organization for the wives of civil servants and the
wives of members of the Indonesian Armed Forces (Angkatan
Bersenjata Republik Indonesia, ABRI), as
well as professional wives (Indonesian Doctor's Wives Association, and others).
Women's organizations are now entering a period of �no resistance� to the
discrimination and exploitation experienced by women in Indonesia (Fauziyah, 2015).
The organization emphasizes the position of women as
companions of men, who put the existence, status, and honor of women in the
shadow of the identity of the husband, not the identity of the woman herself
(Jovani, 2014). Seeing this fact, women activists consider it as a
suppression of ideas and is very much against the principles of democracy.
In the Reform Era (now), the fall of President Suharto in
1998 gave new hope for comprehensive reforms in the political, economic,
governmental, and social systems. The peak of the women's movement in this era
was the formation of the Women's National Commission (Komnas Perempuan).
Komnas Perempuan is a quasi-state institution that was formed in
response to public pressure both domestically and internationally. The aim is
to uphold the human rights of Indonesian women and for the government to have a
stronger commitment to eliminating violence against women. This institution was
established with a vision to create order, social relations, and conducive
behavior patterns so that women can enjoy their human rights as human beings (Fauziyah, 2015).
In addition to international public pressure, the women's
movement is also supported by global or extra-local forces that also color the
political dynamics at the local level, both at the city/district, provincial,
and even national levels. The study conducted by (Stokke & T�rnquist,
2013) shows that in Indonesia, we find many groups of
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) funded by the World Bank that work by
carrying out neo-liberal agendas such as 'good governance. World Bank sees the
importance of the role of NGOs or women's organizations in the long-term
development process and economic reform at the community level, so that it does
not apply only at the level of state economic institutions but invites women to
actively participate in politics and development.
One of the most surprising things in Indonesia was that
in the 1999 election, a female presidential candidate, Megawati Soekarno Putri,
General Chairperson of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (Partai
Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan, PDIP)
emerged. Some Islamic politicians use religious arguments to thwart her
political moves (Jovani, 2014).
Finally, in 2001 when Abdurrahman Wahid resigned as
President of Indonesia. Megawati, who was his deputy at the time, rose to
become Indonesia's first female president.
The results of the struggle to uphold women's rights are
shown by the strengthening of network patterns among actors who care about
issues of justice and gender equality as well as advocating and assisting the
birth of various gender-responsive laws (Anastasia et al., 2013).
These laws are Law Number 23 of 2004 concerning the
Elimination of Domestic Violence, Law Number 12 of 2006 concerning Citizenship,
and Law Number 21 of 2007 concerning Eradication of the Crime of Trafficking in
Persons. Women's organizations are also actively involved in advocating for
substantial changes that have the potential to harm women in the Draft Law
Number 44 of 2008 concerning Pornography and Pornoaction, Law Number 8 of 2012
concerning the Election of Parliament The House of
Representatives � Regional Legislative Council (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat �
Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah, DPR-DPRD) Members, and the
active movement to advocate for the 30% quota for candidates for members of
The House of Representatives � Regional Representatives Council (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat
� Dewan Perwakilan Daerah, DPR-DPD) in the 2008 and 2003 Election Laws.
These efforts are commendable achievements, and we see
that women's organizations have been able to mobilize their voices when
carrying out movements, for the birth of gender-responsive laws (Dotti Sani &
Quaranta, 2017).
Legislation relating to the life and life and position of
women in Indonesia is the key to protecting women's rights as citizens.
C. Simultaneous Regional Elections 2018 in Makassar City
The contestation for the Makassar Mayor election in 2018
was initially followed by two pairs of candidates. However, after the process
was running, one pair was disqualified which was the incumbent Dhani Ramadhan
Pomanto paired with Indira Mulyasari. Pair number one Munafri Arifuddin and
Andi Rachmatika Dewi participated through the party line, while the Incumbent
pair before being disqualified, participated through the independent route. The
challenger pair brought almost all parties, while the incumbent was only
supported by Democrats and Perindo who were outside Parliament.
One thing that attracted attention in the political event
this time was that the two couples asked for representatives from women. This
study tries to trace the representation of women in the 2018 Simultaneous
Regional Elections in Makassar City. This phenomenon is a trace of women's
participation in politics that should be appreciated. But, how exactly is the
contestation of women in this event? The following are the responses of several
Makassar women who were collected in one interview excerpt because they were
considered to have similar answers.
"Women need to be
chosen because so far it is men who dominate. Now and then we need female
leaders so that we can convey our complaints to mothers or women and it is
easier for us to tell from heart to heart if the candidate is a woman. So they
will understand the problems we face in our daily life."
From the results of the interview at a glance, we can
understand that women are highly expected in this contest and Makassar women
want a leader from women who can understand the problems of mothers or women.
The author notes that in the 2017 Regional Head Election,
the participation of women as voters is almost always higher than that of men.
Nationally, female voter participation was 76.2%, while male voters were 73.8%.
In other words, women are more optimal in exercising their right to vote in
Regional Head Elections than men. Unfortunately, their votes were not directed
in favor of female candidates.
Similarly, the participation of women as voters in the
Simultaneous Regional Elections in Makassar city in 2018 was also higher than
that of men. Based on the Final Voter List (Daftar Pemilih Tetap, DPT)
from the General Elections Commission (Komisi Pemilihan Umum, KPU) of
Makassar City, it shows that the number of DPT for women is 507,487,
compared to the DPT for the male gender, 483,349, from the total DPT
which in total is 990,836.
These results are considered to be able to attract the
attention of several mayoral candidates to pair up with female candidate pairs
so that they can win the female vote. As a result, the Makassar City KPU
only determined two candidates in the 2018 Simultaneous Regional Elections
contestation where each candidate paired up with a female representative
(Source: Makassar City KPU). Unfortunately, ahead of the election, pair
number one Dhani Ramadhan Pomanto paired with Indira Mulyasari was
disqualified.
The battle for the Makassar mayoral election still seems
to be dominated by certain political groups. If women appear, it is none other
than because they are part of a political group that is rooted in society. This
is also what happened in Makassar City as expressed by Sopian Tamrin, a
Makassar political observer and a Makassar State University Lecturer who
revealed that:
"Makassar is still
strong in the old group in the fight. The candidates may be new, but those who
play this from behind are still the same. Rachmatika Dewi must have brought the
Ilham Arief Sirajuddin group (former 2nd term Makassar Mayor) and the Incumbent
Group not far from the old opponents who were close there. Mr. Syahrul Yasin
Limpo's group (Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia from 2019)
as long as no family comes forward, will face Mr. Ilham Arief Sirajuddin's
group. It has become an open secret for us in the city of Makassar".
This means that politics in the city of Makassar itself
still involves the old political forces that exist. It's just that they don't
appear in front of the screen anymore, but become the determinants of the
contest behind the scenes. Likewise, women's motivation in politics is strongly
influenced by their family, both encouragements from their husbands and parents
and they have relationships with strong political clans in each region and
center.
Women who participate in the contest as deputy mayor of
Makassar are not appointed just like that but through various variables. It's
not just that they are women and the turnout of women voters is significant.
More than that, they have an important aspect in the electoral considerations
of the political map.
First, both Rachmatika Dewi and Indira Mulyasari are both
members of the City and Provincial DPRD and even leaders of the DPRD.
Second, both also have a clear base in their respective
constituencies. The main consideration for the party appointing its cadres as
DPRD leaders is the highest number of votes in the 2014 legislative elections.
Third, both are known to have powerful political clans.
Andi Rachmatika Dewi with the support of Mr. Ilham Arief Sirajuddin's extended
family (former 2nd term Makassar Mayor). Meanwhile, Indira Mulyasari is a
family businesswoman and her father has a close relationship with several
high-ranking party officials and elite networks at the center.
Fourth, both are cadres of major parties made by Surya
Dharma Paloh (General Chair of the National Democratic Party). Where the party
machine has also proven successful in bringing many women to sit as heads and
deputy regional heads. Some "marry" aspects of party cadres and other
factors to gain more votes from voters. The dominance of such backgrounds
raises concerns that women who will sit in the executive chair will only be
controlled by those who are already in the circle of power, and their election
will not bring breakthroughs in the form of policies that pay more attention to
the interests of women and marginal groups.
The more political variables a person has, the more
likely it is to win in political contests. Meanwhile, Andi Rachmatika Dewi and
Indira Mulyasari have more or less these variables, so it is natural to
consider them as a pair of Deputy Mayors to accompany incumbents and
challengers. Political dynamics, especially for the Deputy who fought, caught
the public's attention. Reports and conversations in open space often discuss
the enmity of representatives, namely Mrs. Andi Rahmatika Dewi and Indira
Mulyasari. Both are members of the DPRD from the same party, namely the
National Democratic Party (Nasional Demokrat,
Nasdem). The two of them are also known to be good and close
friends, so it is not uncommon for Rachmatika to socialize early as a candidate
for mayor. Indira often accompanies and even helps socialize with her friend as
a candidate for mayor.
After the two officially registered at the KPU
with their partners as participants in the general election, the friendship war
began to heat up. Until Indira Mulyasari was disqualified, the relationship did
not cool down because the couple was secretly indicated to support the movement
to choose the empty box. In the case that was raised in this study, it could
not be fully explored comprehensively because of the single candidate problem.
However, the contestation of the two provides a picture of political dynamics
by moving the segment of women as political participants who actively discuss
feminine political discourse.
Thus, based on the plenary meeting of the results of the
vote count for the election of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Makassar which was
held at the Max One Hotel, Jalan Taman Makam Pahlawan in Makassar City, Friday
(6/7/2018), the Chairman of the KPU of Makassar City determined and
decided the empty box as the winner in the KPU
of Makassar city in 2018. The empty box defeated the
single candidates Munafri Arifuddin and Andi Rachmatika Dewi in the vote. In
the vote recapitulation, empty boxes won in 13 sub-districts in Makassar City.
While the single candidates Munafri Arifuddin and Andi Rachmatika Dewi only won
in 2 districts. Empty boxes received 300,795 votes (53.23%), while the single
candidate received 264,245 (46.77%) votes. The total votes obtained for the Election
of Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Makassar reached 565,040 votes (Source: KPU
Makassar City).
D. The Role of Feminism in Elections
As previously explained, Feminism has an important role
in ending the oppression and domination of men in the political sphere against
women. Feminism is a belief, movement, and effort to fight for the equal
position of women and men in a socio-political structure that is still
patriarchal and fights for the rights and dignity of women.
In subsequent developments, this movement also projects a
vision of a just, democratic, and prosperous society (Mansour Fakih, 2013). Because, the injustice experienced by women in the
social structure is manifested through economic, social, political, and
cultural life. According to socialist feminists, the injustices experienced by
women are understood as a result of socio-political and cultural structures.
The root of the domination relationship is a patriarchal culture, where men are
more dominant over women. The same thing was expressed in a direct interview
with Rachmatika Dewi, Candidate for Deputy Mayor of Makassar for the 2018-2023
period, Chair of the Regional Board (Dewan Pimpinan Daerah, DPD) of
the Makassar Nasdem Party, and deputy chairman of DPRD of South Sulawesi Province
period 2014-2018:
�... firstly, in
Indonesia, this woman is still considered a second-class citizen. Second, our
patriarchal culture is very much felt, meaning that until now it still exists �
sometimes the injustices felt by women are still victims of violence, there are
still many things that happen in our society.�
The informant's statement, Andi Rachmatika Dewi,
illustrates that there are still injustices, violence, and marginalization felt
by women in various sectors of life, both at the ideal level (values) and at
the practical-empirical level. The injustice experienced by women is the result
of the cultural construction of the patriarchal system which is very
detrimental to women. The existence of this system does not appear without a
cause, but all of this has gone through a long and continuous process of
interaction in our society. Therefore, gender as a result of social
construction in his understanding has been dominated by a male bias which
results in certain pressures on women (Wahid, 2014)
The patriarchal society system is being challenged by
feminists because it tends to suppress the position of women. The most feminist
theory states that the natural pressure in gender relations is based on the
dominance of patriarchal understanding. Feminists also examine the unequal
distribution of power between men and women (Wahid, 2014). Women tend to be positioned as subordinates, integrated
into the domestic world, and have limited rights to enter the public world,
even though women and men have the same potential and therefore should have the
same rights (Kultsum, 2017).
In the study of communication, feminist communication
experts examine how men speak which is considered biased, always dividing
reality into two dichotomies, namely male-female, strong-weak,
rational-emotional, public-domestic, and so on. All these social categories
according to Stephen W. Littlejohn: will have an impact on the relationship
between women and men. The relationship between women and men appears as an
unfair, corrupt, manipulative, and vertical relationship. The ways of male
domination have influenced communication among women. Feminists always place
women's experiences as the central point of research, which legitimizes the
values of women's experiences themselves (Wahid, 2014)
Apart from the influence of patriarchal culture, it is
also influenced by the platform of political parties on the side of gender
equality. Ahead of the election, almost all political parties try to adopt a
gender perspective because they are afraid of being published in the mass
media. Therefore, political parties trying to accommodate a gender perspective
are not really to accommodate women but are part of the way political parties
adapt to the demands of women who want to exist more. However, the real motive
is to maintain the existence of the party. Many political parties claim to have
difficulty accommodating women's requirements as mandated in the law (Amalia et al., 2021).
This is reinforced by the words of Rachmatika Dewi when
she first entered a political party in a direct interview:
�... in the 2009
election, that was the first regulation that required political parties to
recruit 30% of women as candidates for DPRD members. The first time I joined the party as a compliment, at that
time, 30% of women were represented."
The involvement of women in political parties is only a
compliment. And also sometimes women enter political parties because other
people or their families were with the party first, as revealed in a direct
interview with Indira Mulyasari, Candidate for Deputy Mayor of Makassar for the
2018-2023 period, deputy chairman of the Makassar City DPRD and treasurer of
the Nasdem Party DPD:
�...yes indeed because my parents at that time were
involved in the entry of the Nasdem
party in Makassar City. I joined. I only saw the Nasdem party, the Nasdem party
when it was formed in Makassar City were young people, there was Rachmatika
Dewi's mother, all of them young people. So, I think I am also the same age as
Rachmatika Dewi's mother. Let's go inside, let's be young people together to
raise this party."
Most of today's Indonesian feminists come from elitist
middle-class backgrounds, higher education, and children of officials or
businessmen who attend foreign institutions and maintain a high level of
fluency in English, which allows them to access more feminist literature. Not
many of them have extensive experience working at the grassroots level, while
women who are involved in grassroots groups such as in rural areas, and some small
towns in Indonesia are still vulnerable to conservative campaigns to change
members of more progressive networks. Feminists need to engage heavily with
grassroots movements to prevent shifts in established networks. In addition,
feminists must also be stronger and more united than before, build bridges with
"opponents", and build coalitions with other movements that are
important to prevent a decline in feminist progress in Indonesia (Kartika,
2019). Because feminists themselves believe that giving women more space in
politics will provide fresh air and hope for political change that is arrogant,
corrupt, and patriarchal.
One of the ways are chosen as a strategy for struggle is
to make the 30% quota for women in parliament a temporary measure (affirmative
action) to be realized. It is said to be a temporary measure because the quota
is not an end goal, but the 30% quota affirmative action is needed because of
the different circumstances and the start between men and women. Quotas will
encourage women to enter politics because it opens a path that has been very
difficult for women (Wahid, 2014).
Based on this reality, it is deemed necessary to have a
special policy to support women to dare to enter the world of politics. That's
because the start between women and men is different. The condition of men in
social, cultural, and political realities is also different. In addition to
these considerations, women activists and women political experts view that
numbers are also important to make it easier for an issue to be fought for.
Changes will be possible with an adequate number of women's representation.
That reason was later stated that increasing women's representation in
Indonesia can be accelerated by affirmative action as a legal strategic policy
in the Act (Wahid, 2014).
According to Megawati Soekarno Putri in her official
speeches as President of the Republic of Indonesia, she said that the 30% quota
degrades the degree and dignity of women so this quota is expected to be much
more than this, even up to 100%.
This means that political parties in Indonesia and the
government must pay great attention to women that it is important to represent
women or encourage the presence of women regional leaders, because they will
carry out various capacity building and various preparations to advance women,
especially from their cadres in the election or candidate contests.
legislative. The role of political parties is very significant in encouraging
women's representation in political momentum. If the party always carries
several female cadres as an option, it will gradually produce female leader
candidates.
This encouragement also has a clear legal basis in
Article 8 paragraph (2) letter e of Law Number 8/2012 concerning General
Elections which states "Representation of at least 30% of women in the
management of political parties at the central level is a requirement for
election participation", could be wrong. one entrance is to form reliable
female cadres and then compete in the election or legislative candidates. This
means that they are included in the structure of political parties and it is in
that realm that they then hone their leadership skills, of course for a long
time.
If necessary, 30% is only used as a minimum standard, not
a maximum standard. This means that if there is a party that can accommodate
party members with more female representatives, there is no need to question
it. The more women absorb in the political process, the more feminine
conversations will be in the public sphere. The presence of women in the realm
of practical politics as evidenced by the representation of women in the
political arena is an absolute requirement for the creation of a culture of
public policy making that is friendly and sensitive to the interests of women.
Without the representation of women in the government bureaucracy, the
interests of men as the center of policy making will likely be difficult to
contain. Finally, the thing that we still have to realize and then we try to
continue to improve is that political parties have not maximally paid attention
to gender equality in every democratic party or election. Rachmatika Dewi said
the same thing:
"So, the problem is to create a conducive atmosphere
for political parties and the government and the whole community to take a role
and encourage the role of women in politics. The government makes regulations,
and political parties prepare their cadres and prepare special political
education for these women who will work in politics. If political parties don't
prepare for it, it will be difficult to realize it all. I'm sorry, yes, there
is still a lot of management ahead of the election for new political parties to
recruit all women to fulfill the 30% quota. Why not from the start? 30% of
women are recruited and then given a good political education, so that in the
election they are ready to fight, with the skills and knowledge they have, now
it's not like that."
This problem, of course, does not stand alone but is
caused by the electoral system, combined with some cultural features of
political parties, shaping the types of female candidates recruited by parties
in several problematic ways (White & Aspinall,
2019), such as the recruitment of women as a complement to the
30% quota. , then the function of regeneration does not work as it should,
every party member should carry out regeneration first before being appointed
as a member or party cadre.
The choice of electoral system and rules applied in a
country will affect the level of representation of women in parliamentary
institutions (Tigran, 2022).
It is proven in the first simultaneous elections in
Indonesia in 2019 which increased the representation of women in the DPR.
A total of 120 women were elected to the national body, taking up 20.9% of the
seats (KPU, 2019), the highest number in Indonesia's history. compared
to the 2014 election results which showed an increase of around 3.5%, when
women got 17.3% of the seats (KPU, 2014). Although still relatively low
compared to men, this is the highest result for women's representation in
Indonesian history (Amalia et al., 2021).
Other research on women's representation shows that the
three main factors that have the most significant influence on the level of
women's representation in institutions whose members are elected are, 1) the
electoral system, 2) the role and organization of political parties, 3)
cultural acceptance, including affirmative action (affirmative action or
positive discrimination) that is mandatory or voluntary. One form of
affirmative action is the provision of a certain number of quotas for women.
The core idea behind the quota system is to recruit women to enter political
positions and ensure that women are not merely a "sign" in political
life (Artina, 2016)
but as a driving force to create changes in the
socio-political structure that is dominated by the patriarchal culture, then
also participate in the development and welfare of women (social justice).
Women's representation in the 2018 simultaneous regional
elections in Makassar city and the success of the 2019 simultaneous elections,
is a critical minority. One thing that is important in this paper is that
women's representation is a temporary measure. If the structural barriers to
women's entry into politics can be removed, then regulations relating to
women's representation need not be applied anymore. Because historical records
show that women are far behind in their "start" when entering the
world of politics compared to men. Thus, in future elections, the
representation of women is already on the same starting line as men (Artina, 2016).
Political space is one of the most decisive areas in
policy making. This means that the interests of every human being must be
accommodated in policies regardless of their human background. And those
interests must be fought for and guarded so that they are truly accommodated
amid many interests. Because women's interests have always been ignored because
the number of women's representation in various political institutions is not
able to influence policy. Thus, the number of women's representation in every
election in Indonesia must be increased so that women's interests can be
accommodated.
In addition, not all female politicians who are in political
institutions or elections do not always think in the interests of women.
However, although it may be true, there is no real relationship formed between
the level of women's participation in elections or political institutions and
their contribution to the advancement of women, but the existence of women as
members in political institutions and women's representation in elections is
considered as many women's participation in elections. critical thinking that
can help women to have a meaningful influence in politics, both then and in the
future. Therefore, the presence of women in elections or political institutions
is very important for women and also for feminism.
CONCLUSION
As a social movement, feminism in
Indonesia began in the early 1900s, starting from pre-independence to
Indonesian independence, which was opened by the thought of R.A. Kartini. From
there, the influence of feminism starts from the renewal of perspectives, the
struggle against gender injustice to the struggle for the recognition of
women's rights. Regarding the struggle for the recognition of women's rights,
this struggle is now starting to bear fruit as evidenced by the various rights
of women which have been recognized more or less during social and state life,
such as civil rights, the right to education, the right to be treated equal
rights, political rights, and various other rights.
In addition, some challenges are not
easy in dealing with the low representation of women, such as the continued
implementation of discriminatory regional regulations and strong opposition
from religious fundamentalist groups, conservatives, and right-wing populism.
One of the fresh air
regarding feminism and the women's movement in Indonesia is the increase in
women's leadership and representation in the legislature. In 2019, the number
of female DPR-RI Members increased the presentation from the previous period,
although this increase in presentation had not yet reached the minimum quota of
30% female representation. The representation of female members in 2019 reached
20.9%, an increase compared to 2004, 2009, and 2014.
This also had an impact on the
Simultaneous Regional Elections in Makassar City in 2018. The KPU of Makassar
City only determined two candidate candidates, namely each candidate paired
with a female representative candidate, pair number one Munafri Arifuddin
paired with Andi Rachmatika Dewi, and pair number two, Dhany Ramdhan Pomanto,
paired up with Indira Mulyasari. In the process, pair number two is
disqualified, so pair number one continues to advance and fight against the
empty box. Finally, the empty box defeated the single candidates Munafri
Arifuddin and Andi Rachmatika Dewi in the vote.
From the results of this study, it can
be seen that women are more optimal in exercising their voting rights in
simultaneous regional elections in Makassar 2018 compared to men. Based on the
Final Voter List with 507,487 female voter participation, compared to male gender
483,349 people, out of the total Final Voter List total of 990,836. Interviews
show that women are highly expected in elections where society wants leaders
who can understand mothers' and women's issues.
With the phenomena found in Simultaneous
Regional Elections in Makassar City in 2018, it is hoped that it can ignite the
spirit of women's involvement in elections. As women's representation
increases, policy formation prioritizes women's interests, and social
protection issues, and proposes and passes women-friendly policies. This shows
that women's representation plays an important role in the implementation of
feminism in Indonesia. If women get equal opportunities and roles with men, the
potential of human resources in Indonesia will be much greater, and the most
important thing.
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