Asia Times: Megawati's rise dents masculine politics



	November 10, 1999	atimes.com

Southeast Asia

Megawati's rise dents masculine Muslim politics
By Richel Dursin

JAKARTA - Megawati Sukarnoputri's ascent to vice president boosts the political role of women in Muslim-dominated Indonesia, but at the same time, activists have expressed some disappointment that Megawati does not seem to consistently espouse women's issues - their conclusion after a November 2 meeting with her here.

They say Megawati's rise to power serves as an inspiration to others, not least injecting a dose of feminine politics into the country's mainly masculine political arena.

''Megawati's rise to one of the highest political positions in the country is a symbolic victory for the women in Indonesia, where the patriarchal system and Islamic culture are very strong,'' said Nursyahbani Katjasungkana, a parliament member from the Indonesian Women's Coalition for Justice and Democracy. ''I do expect that she will bring a new climate in our political life when she pays much attention to the social welfare of people,'' Nursyahbani added.

''Megawati has changed the thinking of Indonesian people that women could not become leaders and she will push many women leaders to go to the political arena,'' said Sri Wiyanti of the non-governmental Legal Aid Institute-Indonesian Women's Association for Justice.

After Suharto's New Order regime, many Indonesians, over 90 percent of whom are Muslim, believe that being male is a requirement for leadership. Suharto exploited the idea that women could not become leaders, stereotyping them as housewives. Under government policy introduced during Suharto's 32-year-rule, women's roles were defined as companions of their husbands, housewives, primary educators of children, social workers and additional breadwinners. Such ''housewife'' ideology is also found in the Indonesian Marriage Law, which specifies that women are for the domestic area while men are for the public sphere. ''It's hard to push women into the public sphere because the basic regulations mandate them to be in the domestic area,'' said Wiyanti.

That view, however, is challenged by Megawati's election and the cabinet appointments of two outspoken women - Khofifah Indar Parawansa as state minister for the empowerment of women, and Erna Witoelar as minister for housing and territorial development. To become vice president, Megawati defeated Hamzah Haz, whose Muslim-oriented United Development Party opposed her presidential bid because of her gender.

Activists agree, though, that having a woman at the top of government does not alone signal success for women. Megawati's ''concerns on women are very limited. She doesn't have enough background on women issues,'' said Yanti Muchtar, secretary-general of Women's Solidarity for Human Rights. During the election campaign, Megawati enraged women's groups and human rights activists when she kept silent following an incident in March when her supporters harassed and stripped a group of women rallying for the rival Golkar Party.

To some activists, Megawati does not represent change because her route to power came via the popularity of her father, former president Sukarno. ''Megawati is feudal because she depends heavily on her father's name and his outlook. The people view her as daughter of Indonesia's founding president, Sukarno, just like they see former Philippine President Corazon Aquino as the wife of the late senator Benigno Aquino,'' Muchtar said.

Thus, some say they need her to promote women's interests at the national level - especially in an area where Megawati has limited knowledge: state violence against women in the restive provinces of Maluku and Irian Jaya.

Nursyahbani, who was booed by male members of parliament (MPR) when she suggested the use of ''gender equality'' in all documents produced by parliament, pointed out that ''it's not Megawati's job alone to insert the feminist agenda into Indonesian patriarchal politics.''

So far, the Wahid government has shown some signs of being sensitive to gender issues. President Abdurrahman Wahid has named two women to his new cabinet; the concept of ''gender equality'' has for the first time been adopted in the state policy guidelines for 1999-2004; and Khofifah has persuaded the government to commit to issuing a rule requiring at least one of three judges presiding over rape trials to be a woman. ''This would help women overcome their trauma and make them feel more at ease in recounting their case and testifying in court,'' Khofifah said.

Nonetheless, when 35 women activists met with President Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati on November 2, they went home disappointed, complaining that the vice president showed ''lack of seriousness'' in advancing women's causes. In their meeting, the activists had sought the creation of a women's and human rights desk under the vice president's office.

Said Wiyanti: ''Although perhaps she is unaware of her role, Megawati is at the forefront of this movement because she is introducing feminine values into Indonesia's predominantly masculine politics.''

The case for the vice president was most clearly put by Nursyahbani, one of only 64 women in the 700-strong MPR: ''Even though Megawati doesn't have feminist interests, I voted for her because who will support the women, but the women themselves?''

(Inter Press Service)

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©1999 Asia Times Online Co., Ltd.