Gender equality and diversity in Indonesia: Identifying progress and challenges

Over the past 20 years, gender relations and the expression of power and authority between men and women in Indonesia have been shaped by the forces of reformasi, decentralisation, a reassertion of central power and economic transitions.  These changes have given rise to the policy reform, an increase in women’s political representation and new expressions of diverse gender identities.  But to what extent has the “gender order” of the New Order – where women’s role as mother was the basis of citizenship – been challenged or just found new articulations? What shape do contemporary contestations to gendered power take? The chapters in this volume bring gender to the centre stage and provide reflections on the political, economic, social and cultural progress and barriers in achieving gender equality and diversity in Indonesia.

This book is based on papers delivered at the 2022 Indonesia Update conference convened by Angie Bexley, Sarah Dong and Diahhadi Setyonaluri. It explores how gender relations have been shaped by historical forces such as reformasi, decentralisation and economic transformation. Spanning topics such as the effects of democratisation, Islamic movements, gender identity and public space, the economic impact of digitisation and the growing middle class, legal reforms, visual arts movements and more, it is a comprehensive review of gender relations in Indonesia over the past twenty years.

This book is part of the Indonesia Update series published by ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute since 1994. Download the table of contents and Chapter 1 free. Purchase from ISEAS (print and e-books) and and its distributors (Periplus in Indonesia; print only). Note that e-books will need to be downloaded as an Adobe Digital Editions file (not pdf).