International Women’s Day is an important moment to reflect on women’s struggles in facing patriarchal culture which still hinders the achievement of gender equality in Indonesia. Despite progress, major challenges remain in liberating women from limited and stereotyped roles in society. This article will outline the problems of patriarchal culture, look at the history of Kartini’s feminist struggle, and reflect on religious and legal perspectives regarding gender equality. Apart from that, concrete efforts will be discussed in overcoming the shackles of patriarchal culture to encourage the realization of true gender equality in Indonesia.
Patriarchal Culture: The Biggest Obstacle to Gender Equality
Gender equality is a fundamental principle that confirms that all individuals, regardless of gender, have the same rights in all aspects of life. However, in Indonesia, as in many other countries in the world, patriarchal culture is still a major obstacle in achieving true gender equality. Patriarchal culture is a social and cultural system where men are considered to have dominance, control and superiority over women in all things.Patriarchal culture is still very strong in Indonesia, reflected in the expectations for women to do domestic work such as washing, cooking and caring for children, while men are expected to work outside the home and be the backbone of the family. These expectations often make many women feel constrained and unable to develop their potential outside of their traditional role as housewives. They are often faced with a choice between career and family, because there is still the view that women must prioritize their roles as mothers and wives.Even though there has been progress in terms of gender equality, such as increasing women’s access to education and employment, patriarchal culture still continues and affects various aspects of women’s lives. One clear example is the issue of leadership, where women are often considered less capable of leading because they are considered too emotional or indecisive. In fact, many studies have proven that women have the same leadership abilities as men, sometimes even better in some aspects.
Apart from that, in economic terms, patriarchal culture is also visible in the wage gap between men and women, where women often earn lower wages even though they have the same qualifications and experience as men. This shows that there is still a view that women are only limited to domestic workers or workers who are not very important, while men are considered more worthy of higher positions and wages.
To overcome patriarchal culture, comprehensive efforts are needed and involve various parties. Empowering women is an important step in overcoming obstacles that result in social injustice for women. Women’s empowerment programs must run continuously, optimally, and be supported by funds and other assistance needed. Apart from that, gender equality needs to be instilled and fought for through various movements on social media and friendship circles.Improving education is also key in overcoming patriarchal culture. With inclusive and gender equality-based education, it is hoped that the younger generation can grow up with a better understanding of women’s rights and roles in society. Schools and other educational institutions can also be a forum for fighting for gender equality and eliminating stereotypes that are detrimental to women.
Apart from that, fighting for equal participation space for women in various fields of life is also very important. There needs to be policies that support women to actively participate in various fields, including politics, economics and social affairs. By providing equal space for women to develop, it is hoped that they can be more independent and have the same opportunity to achieve success.
History of Kartini’s Struggle in Overcoming Patriarchy
Kartini’s struggle in fighting for gender equality has provided an important foundation for the women’s emancipation movement in Indonesia. Through her writings, Kartini campaigned for the importance of education for women and the rights they should obtain. Even though Kartini is gone, her fighting spirit is still alive in modern women’s movements which continue to fight patriarchal culture. Raden Ajeng Kartini, or better known as Kartini, was born in 1879 in Jepara, Central Java. Since childhood, Kartini has shown interest and talent in learning even though at that time education for women was still very limited. At that time, women were only allowed to study at home and only up to basic education level.
Even though she has limited formal education, Kartini is still enthusiastic about learning. He had access to his family’s fairly complete library, so he could read many books and literature from various famous authors of his time. This opened her horizons about the wider outside world and gave her inspiration to fight for women’s rights.
One of the important things that Kartini strived for was women’s right to receive the same education as men. Kartini believes that with good education, women can be more independent and have equal opportunities to develop. Therefore, Kartini actively fought for women’s rights in terms of education. Through her writings, Kartini strongly criticized customs that restricted women, such as polygamy and marriage arrangements that did not take into account women’s wishes. He also emphasized the importance for women to be able to work and contribute to society, not just as housewives. Even though Kartini died at a young age, namely in 1904, her struggle was never forgotten. The Indonesian government even set her birth date, April 21, as Kartini Day, which is celebrated as a day to honor her services in fighting for women’s rights.
Efforts to Overcome Patriarchal Culture
To overcome patriarchal culture in Indonesia, concrete efforts are needed that involve various aspects of community life. Empowering women is an important step to overcome obstacles that result in social injustice. Women’s empowerment programs must run continuously, optimally, and be supported by funds and other assistance needed.Apart from empowering women, gender equality also needs to be instilled and fought for through various movements on social media and friendship circles. Through appropriate education and campaigns, society can realize the importance of gender equality and begin to change thought patterns and behavior that are discriminatory against women.Improving education is also key in overcoming patriarchal culture. With inclusive and gender equality-based education, it is hoped that the younger generation can grow up with a better understanding of women’s rights and roles in society. Schools and other educational institutions can also be a forum for fighting for gender equality and eliminating stereotypes that are detrimental to women.
Apart from that, fighting for equal participation space for women in various fields of life is also very important. There needs to be policies that support women to actively participate in various fields, including politics, economics and social affairs. By providing equal space for women to develop, it is hoped that they can be more independent and have the same opportunity to achieve success.In efforts to overcome patriarchal culture, collaboration between government, society and non-governmental organizations is very important. By uniting hands, it is hoped that the patriarchal culture which still hinders the achievement of gender equality in Indonesia can continue to be reduced and ultimately eliminated.
Patriarchal culture is not a problem that only occurs in Indonesia, but is also a global challenge in achieving gender equality. In various countries around the world, patriarchal culture is still very strong and influences various aspects of women’s lives. For example, in many societies, women are still considered “housewives” who must be responsible for household work and caring for children, while men are expected to work outside the home and be the breadwinners of the family. The role of women in politics is also often limited, with few women occupying leadership positions in government and political institutions. This shows that patriarchal culture still influences society’s perception of women in terms of leadership and political decisions.
At the international level, various organizations and institutions have made efforts to overcome patriarchal culture and promote gender equality. One example is the United Nations (UN), which has adopted various conventions and declarations to protect women’s rights and promote gender equality throughout the world. An example is the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) which is the main international legal instrument in promoting women’s rights.
Additionally, various countries have adopted policies and programs to overcome patriarchal culture and strengthen gender equality. For example, Sweden is known as one of the most advanced countries in terms of gender equality, implementing policies such as paternity leave equal to maternal leave, quotas for women in leadership positions, and comprehensive women’s empowerment programs. In Indonesia, although there has been progress in terms of gender equality, patriarchal culture is still a major obstacle. Therefore, it is important for Indonesia to learn from the experiences of other countries in overcoming patriarchal culture and strengthening gender equality. By adopting policies and programs that have proven effective in other countries, Indonesia can accelerate the process towards true gender equality.
*Nurul Fajri Salsabila is a social International Relations undergraduate student from the batch of 2021 at the Islamic University of Indonesia.