Contextualizing Women’s Issues in Experiences, Literature

Shadine Taufik (The Jakarta Post) ● Wed, August 19 2020

One main criticism of the feminist movement in Southeast Asia is its exclusivity, which has been dominated by the perception of the white, liberal biological female.

During the Isyarat Feminisme Dekolonial (Gesture of Decolonial Feminism) session of the Etalase Pemikiran Perempuan(A Window to Women’s Thoughts) online feminist festival, which ran from July 24 to 26, Indonesian feminists brought this criticism into a discussion.

Led by writers Martha Hebi, Erni Aladjai, Citra Hasan and anthropologist Rhidian Yasminta Wasaraka, this session addressed the various experiences of women across the Indonesian archipelago.

The topics covered varied greatly, providing insight into different viewpoints and methods of cultural preservation.

Martha exposed the fragile state of the feminist movement in Sumba, brought about by years of patriarchal domination in social systems and ongoing feudalism, while Erni presented her findings through Project Ramuan Nenek, a compilation of methods of women’s post-birth body care, from the traditional practices of different regions of Indonesia.

Other topics included Rhidian’s presentation of the Papuan Korowai peoples and the sensationalization and exoticization of their culture forged by Western media, as well as an introduction to Citra’s organization, Sirkulasi Kreasi Perempuan (Women’s Creation Circulation), a Medan-based community within which women express themselves through art and literature.

The panelists highlighted that it was important for feminism to be contextualized within the framework of non-Western values and experiences in order for it to be inclusive and applicable to women regardless of racial, socioeconomic or bodily differences.

In defining decolonial feminism, moderator and organizer Intan Paramaditha took a look at issues lingering within “mainstream” feminism.

Intan explained that “universal feminism” sees women’s experiences as uniform, and does not acknowledge the power relations between the different backgrounds of the individuals that encompass it, giving rise to “colonialism under the guise of female solidarity”.