A Hundred Years of Feminism in Indonesia

Feminism in Indonesia has a long history and has contributed to the discourse of equality as a critical project that brings social change. It is frequently accused as a proponent of western ideology or adopted from Western cultures. This study shows that Third World feminism stems from its own ideals and cultures.

Although feminism has significantly progressed in Indonesia, there is still a strong rejection mainly among fundamentalist religious groups, conservatism and right wing populism. Gender, sexual orientation and religious minorities are confronted with discriminative laws and bylaws in various jurisdictions in Indonesia.

Third World or Indonesian feminist scholarship should be supported to develop its own production, publication, distribution and consumption of ideas and be used as an analytical and strategic tool to develop its own gender knowledge and practices. Indonesian feminist scholarship can play a significant role in strengthening equality and gender justice in a conservative society or western hegemonic discourse.

This study is part of a series published under Political Feminism in Asia, a regional project coordinated by the FES Office for Regional Cooperation in Asia.