Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
closed access
In recent years Indonesia faced some challenges with regards to feminism and Islam. Islam and feminism are two terms which are assumed to be incompatible according to the Muslim community. Before...Show moreIn recent years Indonesia faced some challenges with regards to feminism and Islam. Islam and feminism are two terms which are assumed to be incompatible according to the Muslim community. Before the start of the Jokowi-era in 2014 the Indonesian feminist movement was gradually taking place and Indonesian Islam was modestly acquainted with feminism. This progressive spirit reached its peak with the implementation by the government of the 30% gender quota in 2004 with which women obtained more political involvement. This showed that the government aimed at empowering women and strived for more gender equality. Until recently a mildly progressive development with respect to women’s participation is still taking place. Several other organizations and institutions support the pro-feminist movement. Yet, as it is, the feminist progressive spirit has also known a certain backlash since 2014. In this thesis my research will show how the relation between Islam and feminism in Indonesia has changed during the last 5 years and consequently what challenges the Indonesian religious feminist movement is facing. I will focus on the recent events, struggles and the coinciding ongoing debates. Firstly, I will focus on the by government implemented gender quota system and its pitfalls. Secondly, I will briefly discuss the various organizations and institutions that contribute to Indonesian feminist movement and are linked to the recent KUPI-congress which provides us information about the specific Indonesian ‘religious’ feminist movement. Thirdly, I will cover the debate about the Elimination of the Sexual Violence Bill which gives us insights in what the pro-feminist spirit and the anti-feminist wave have to contend with. Finally, I will discuss the Islamic sources and the contextual interpretation of the scriptures that dictate how Indonesian women should dress in the public sphere and act in in the political arena. These different aspects of my research will answer the question: “How has the relation between Islam and feminism changed since the start of the Jokowi-era in 2014?” Show less
Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
closed access
"Indonesia is one of the countries with the highest number of social media users. However, social media is mainly used in Indonesia (even by politicians) to spread defamation, rumors, and gossip....Show more"Indonesia is one of the countries with the highest number of social media users. However, social media is mainly used in Indonesia (even by politicians) to spread defamation, rumors, and gossip. This is inter alia confirmed by the many anonymous social media accounts only spreading defamation. Rumors and gossip, as well as technology such as mobile phones with cameras and social media, can be seen as means to bridge the gulf between the private practice and the public discourse. With the rise of technological developments available in Indonesia - such as phones with cameras, smartphones, Web 2.0 and thus social media - there appeared an increase of cases in which Indonesian politicians are discredited with their private (sexual) behavior. In this thesis of mine, I will elaborate on this trend of discrediting politicians with sex scandals via social media in Indonesia. What does this trend tell us about Indonesian society? What does it say about democracy, law, morality and Islam in Indonesia’s society? With an eye to answering these questions, with the first being my main question, I would first like to introduce and elaborate a bit upon a few topics that I will be using in my thesis when answering my main question, such as social media. Then I will continue with a chapter in which I will introduce a few case studies of sex scandals that happened in Indonesia. The subsequent chapters will be about topics concerning aspects of the Indonesian society: one chapter about democracy, one about law, and one about morality and Islam. Lastly, I will conclude and answer the main question in the conclusion."Show less
