Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago and the fourth most populous country on Earth, where Islam takes a milder form than in the Middle East. Despite this, women’s position remains significantly worse than men’s, and inequalities permeate all aspects of social life. The struggle for equal rights in this region began over a century ago and continues to this day.
Daily Life Full of Double Standards
A contemporary Indonesian woman functions in a world full of unwritten rules that do not apply to men. Simple activities like smoking a cigarette in a public place or wearing short pants are acceptable for men but become scandalous when done by a woman. These seemingly minor differences form a system that daily reminds women of their inferior position.
In the professional sphere, disparities are even more pronounced. Men find employment more easily, receive higher salaries, and handle administrative matters more efficiently. Data from 2020 shows that only 54% of women actively participate in the labor market – significantly less than in Western countries. Wage gaps between genders remain substantial, though they are rarely publicly discussed.
Even everyday language reflects this hierarchy. The greeting „Bapak Bapak dan Ibu Ibu” puts men first, unlike the Western formula „Ladies and gentlemen.” Social status is also judged differently – a divorced man raises less controversy than a divorced woman, and a widower enjoys greater respect than a widow.
In Java and Bali, women rise before dawn to prepare the home and meals for their families. Their domestic work is treated as a natural duty rather than a contribution deserving recognition. Culture and tradition constantly emphasize that a woman’s primary role is serving the family, while men can pursue professional and social ambitions.
A Pioneer Who Changed Thinking About Women
In April 1879, a girl was born into an aristocratic family in Java who would become a symbol of Indonesian emancipation. Raden Ajeng Kartini grew up in a world where girls’ education ended at age twelve. After reaching this age, tradition required her to remain at home and prepare for marriage in seclusion called pingit.
Kartini did not accept this fate. As a teenager, she began efforts to open access to education for girls and women. Her main tool became letters she wrote to acquaintances in the Netherlands. In this correspondence, she presented progressive views, criticizing women’s low social position, polygamy, and the custom of confining girls in homes.
Her texts were collected and published in Dutch, later translated into English. Kartini argued that limiting women’s education harmed not only them but entire society. In the colonial era, when Indonesia was part of the Dutch East Indies, such views were revolutionary. Kartini combined criticism of local traditions with analysis of the colonial system that maintained inequalities.
After Kartini’s death, her birthday became an official national holiday. For many Indonesian women, she became an inspiration and proof that change is possible. Her legacy extended beyond specific demands – Kartini showed that women could loudly articulate their needs and question established orders.
Political Turmoil and Suppressed Feminism
In the mid-20th century, the women’s movement in Indonesia gained momentum. In 1950, the Gerwani organization, or Indonesian Women’s Movement, was established to address basic rights, particularly access to education and workplace equality. For over a decade, Gerwani developed dynamically, engaging thousands of women in social activities.
Everything changed in the 1960s when General Suharto seized power. Due to Gerwani’s connections with the Indonesian Communist Party, the organization was banned. This was a blow from which the women’s movement needed decades to recover. During Suharto’s rule, which lasted over three decades, women’s organizations were marginalized.
Government-controlled structures like Dharma Wanita emerged in place of grassroots initiatives. This association promoted a traditional model of femininity – focusing on homemaking skills rather than civil rights or workplace equality. For many activists, this was a step backward that set Indonesia back years in the fight for equal rights.
Only the fall of Suharto’s regime in the late 1990s opened new possibilities. Women’s organizations began to revive, though they had to work in difficult conditions. Decades of marginalization left a lasting mark – there was a lack of structures, experienced leaders, and social understanding of feminist demands.
Slow Progress in Politics and Society
The first woman to hold the office of president was Megawati Sukarnoputri, daughter of Indonesia’s founding father. She served from 2001 to 2004, though her term did not bring a breakthrough in equality policies. However, it was symbolic – it showed that a woman could lead the world’s largest Muslim-majority country.
In 2014, President Joko Widodo appointed Retno Marsudi as foreign minister, and economist Sri Mulyani Indrawati became head of the finance ministry. The presence of women in the highest state positions is gradually increasing, though they still constitute a minority. The current government includes five women – more than ever before, but still too few in a country where they make up half of society.
In 2014, gender quotas were introduced – political parties must ensure a minimum of 30% female candidates on electoral lists. Results are visible, though slow. In 2019, women held 21% of seats in the House of Representatives and 30% in the Regional Representatives Council. This is progress compared to 11% in 2004, but still far from parity.
The 2020 Global Gender Gap Report places Indonesia at 85th position in terms of gender equality. Importantly, the country ranked among the top five nations that most improved their scores within a year. The indicator regarding women’s political position is only 0.172 on a scale from 0 to 1, showing the scale of challenges. President Widodo publicly supports the UN’s HeForShe initiative to fight gender inequality, but words do not always translate into systemic changes.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
- https://media.neliti.com/media/publications/45078-EN-indonesian-womens-movements-making-democracy-gender-responsive.pdf
- https://www.chathamhouse.org/2019/05/how-women-are-transforming-indonesia
- https://www.solidaridadnetwork.org/story/power-of-community-women-of-nehas-liah-bing-village-in-indonesia-script-history/
- https://www.europeanbusinessreview.com/womens-rights-in-indonesia/
- https://www.politika.io/en/article/the-indonesian-feminist-movement-between-past-and-present
- https://instytutboyma.org/pl/prawa-kobiet-w-indonezji-i-ich-partycypacja-w-zyciu-politycznym/
- https://zyciewindonezji.pl/2019/11/12/feminizm-i-rola-kobiet-w-historii-indonezji/
- https://natemat.pl/135741,muzulmanki-i-biznesmenki-indonezyjskie-kobiety-maja-dwie-twarze-religijna-i-feministyczna
Margot Cleverly
Margot's journey into women's history began with a box of forgotten letters in a Cambridge archive – suffragettes whose voices had been silenced for over a century. Since then, she's been on a mission to uncover the stories history overlooked.
What she writes about: Queens who ruled from the shadows. Scientists whose male colleagues took credit. Revolutionaries who risked everything. But also ordinary women – those who survived wars, raised families through upheaval, and shaped their communities in ways no one bothered to record.
Margot turns historical figures into real people. She writes with warmth and detail, making centuries-old stories feel surprisingly relevant. Rigorous research meets accessible storytelling – no dusty academic jargon, just compelling narratives backed by solid facts.
When she's not writing, you'll find her in regional archives, collecting oral histories, or visiting sites connected to the women she writes about.