The Portrayal of Women in the Works of Sugiarti Siswadi as the Manifestation of Lekra and Gerwani Ideology

Abstract

Sugiarti Siswadi was regarded as one of the most influential writers in Indonesia during the 1950s and 1960s. She was also known as an activist in the Lembaga Kebudayaan Rakyat (People’s Cultural Institute-Lekra) and Gerakan Wanita Indonesia (Indonesian Women’s Movement-Gerwani), both of which were closely associated with the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). This study analyzes three of Sugiarti’s short stories: “Jang Kesepian” (The Lonely One; 1960), “Anak2 Muda” (Young People; 1961), and “Si Udin Ketua Klas” (Udin, Class Captain; 1961). The three stories, published in Api Kartini magazine, address issues about the family as a social institution. Through the plot and characterization of these stories, Sugiarti dismantles and reverses gender roles to express her views as an activist and a woman. This study shows that these stories do not put male and female characters into binary opposition. We argue that the three stories reflect Sugiarti’s agency in extending her feminist ideas seen through the perspective of a Lekra/Gerwani activist. As such, she enriched gender discourse in Indonesia during the 1950s and 1960s, a recurring theme in her works.