April 3, 2023
JAKARTA – Civil society groups are calling for an environment that is more conducive to increasing women participation in politics and reducing any stereotypes preventing it, whether that has to do with low representation among lawmakers or entrenched discrimination at the House of Representatives.
Finding more female candidates for the nation’s legislative and executive branches has remained a constant challenge, said Nurul Amalia Salabi, a researcher at the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem), at a live-streamed discussion in Jakarta over the weekend.
“Our Election Law has opened the door [for more women to be represented in politics] by stipulating a required minimum 30 percent quota for women representation at the central executive board level among political parties. But a study has shown that parties often pass up on these requirements leading up to an election,” Nurul said.
Instead, she added, parties often resort to recklessly picking women as members just to fulfill the requirements, such as roping in the wives of public officials.
Over the last 24 years, Indonesia has seen an upward trend in women’s representation holding seats at the House, but the number has never reached the 30 percent threshold. Thirty percent is a “sacred” figure because, according to the United Nations, only by reaching that threshold can women influence policy making processes.
Recent data compiled by Kompas daily’s research and development department (Litbang) showed that representation at the House in 1999-2004 only reached 9 percent, equal to 44 women, but it became 10.7 percent (65 women) in the 2004-2009 period, then 17.6 percent (100 women) in the 2009-2014 period, then it became 17.7 percent (97 women) between 2014-2019 and 20.9 percent (120 women) between 2019-2024.
Read also: More women in politics, pleaseSexism and discriminatory treatment is also experienced by female lawmakers, Nurul said, citing an instance in which women at House Commission II, which oversees home affairs, were given little space to voice their opinions compared to their male colleagues, especially during discussions on redistricting Papua’s newest provinces.
Bivitri Susanti, a constitutional law expert from the Indonesia Jentera School of Law, described the need to provide space for women to speak in policy making as “crucial,” as it paves the way for the inclusion of other perspectives of vulnerable groups, such as children and the disabled community.
“Political space for women must be provided, not only in terms of the quantity represented, but also the quality of the political environment conducive to women’s participation,” she said.
Rizka Antika, a researcher at the International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID), called on political parties to offer women more space to participate in politics in the absence of binding regulations requiring women to be given opportunities to become party leaders.
“Women’s leadership in political parties needs to be encouraged and supported, not only in the central offices but also in the regional branches,” Rizka said.
Over the past decade, Indonesia has seen a surge of women occupying high-profile positions in public office, such as Social Affairs Minister Tri “Risma” Rismaharini, in the private sector, such as PT XL Axiata CEO Dian Siswarini, and in international organizations, such as Mari Elka Pangestu as director at the World Bank and Armida Alisjahbana as under secretary-general at the UN.
At the House, while the speakership is currently held by Puan Maharani, daughter of Megawati Soekarnoputri, a former president and the chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), many still consider the appointment tokenistic, and that women continue to struggle taking on other leadership positions at the legislature despite the perceived progress.