Women in politics in Indonesia in the decade post‐Beijing*

Abstract

When 189 member states of the United Nations unanimously agreed to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 1995, they committed themselves to ensuring women's equal access to, and full participation in, power structures and decision‐making. At the time of signing, women constituted fewer than 12% of parliamentary members worldwide, a percentage mirrored in Indonesia. What has happened in the intervening years in terms of women's political participation in Indonesia? To what extent have Indonesian women been able to enforce the sentiments of the Beijing Women's Conference and institute political gains, both quantitative (e.g., increasing political representation) and qualitative (e.g., ensuring women's issues are prioritised)? What obstacles continue to hinder women's entry into politics and what needs to be achieved in order to further facilitate women's political participation? In addressing these and other questions, this paper argues that while there have been substantial developments in terms of public recognition of women's right to participate in politics, women continue to be effectively invisible in Indonesian politics; indeed, the last decade has actually witnessed a decline in the number of women in politics in Indonesia.