Jora: The Centrality of Gender Equality for Sustainable Development

Mytha Candria

doi:10.1051/e3sconf/20187311004

Abstract

The paper is a semiotic study of Abidah El-Khalieqy’s novel Geni Jora. Semiotics is definedwith reference to the study of signs and sign systems, and “signs” concern any things that stand for other things. The semiotic analysis used in this paper was adopted from Chandler’s framework where he combines the Saussurean and Peircean concepts of signs and modes of relationship. The result of the semiotic reading of Geni Jora is that Jora, the main character of the novel, is a symbol, representingAbidah’s resistance to gender injustice within Muslim circle in particular and in Indonesia in general. The novel symbolizes Abidah’s concern about Indonesian (Muslim) women, who suffer from discrimination, injustice, abuse, and violence due to the stronghold of patriarchy. It also signifies her insistence, urging the people of Indonesia to seriously take actions to bring about gender equality and to provide women’s quality education, without which Indonesia would not be able to make sustainable community and development happen.

Highlights

In October 2015, countries across the world, members of the United Nations organization, reached an agreement on the seventeen (17) goals of sustainable development [1]
UNESCO, as is written in its website, feels the urge to ensure« that the role of culture is recognized through a majority of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including those following on quality education, ..., gender equality and food security [2]
The previous discussion suggests that Jora, the main character of Abidah‘s novel Geni Jora, is used as a symbol to signal Abidah’s opposition to patriarchy and gender bias

Summary

Introduction

In October 2015, countries across the world, members of the United Nations organization, reached an agreement on the seventeen (17) goals of sustainable development [1]. UNESCO, as is written in its website, feels the urge to ensure« that the role of culture is recognized through a majority of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including those following on quality education, ..., gender equality and food security [2]. Symbol concerns a mode of relation where the connection between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary; included in the category of symbol are words, languages, and mathematical equations. Icon is a mode where the signifier resembles the signified, such as photographs or realist paintings and drawings.Index concerns a mode of relationship where the signifier is physically or causally connected to the signified. Index covers such signs as handwriting, smokes, or animal footprints

Jora and the Centrality of Gender Equality

Conclusion