The Center for Political Studies at the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Indonesia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, is developing a training module for female legislative candidates at both national and regional levels to support their success in the 2019 election. This partnership is part of the Ministry’s broader agenda to increase the number of women in parliament and strengthen women’s political representation.
A key step in developing the module involves organizing focus group discussions with relevant stakeholders to identify needs and gather input. On July 31 to August 1, 2017, the first discussion was held under the theme “Reflecting on Women’s Representation” at Hotel Onih in Bogor. Participants came from a range of organizations working on women’s issues and elections, including Koalisi Perempuan Indonesia, Jaringan Pendidikan Pemilih untuk Rakyat, Perludem, LKKPM, the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies at Universitas Indonesia, Kaukus Perempuan Politik Indonesia, and Kaukus Perempuan Parlemen Republik Indonesia.
The first session explored the state of women’s representation in Indonesia. Sri Budi Eko Wardhani, a lecturer in political science at Universitas Indonesia, served as the main speaker and offered a detailed analysis of the challenges faced by female candidates ahead of the 2019 election. The discussion also addressed recent changes to election laws and their implications for women candidates.
The second and third sessions focused on drawing out participants’ experiences and insights regarding the challenges women face in political parties and in parliament. In the second session, participants identified key obstacles encountered both by candidates and by elected women legislators in carrying out their roles. The third session centered on sharing experiences from those who had run in the 2009 and 2014 elections. This exchange aimed not only to capture lessons learned, but also to identify the practical and strategic needs of women candidates in preparing their campaign strategies for the 2019 election.
The discussion produced a range of valuable inputs from both speakers and participants. One particularly important point emphasized the need for the module to include anti-corruption education and to promote a vision of ethical victory. Amid the pressure to engage in vote buying during campaigns, participants expressed a strong expectation that the organizers would remain committed to improving the quality of women’s representation. This includes ensuring that the module does not simply teach how to win elections, but also how to do so in a principled and dignified way, contributing to cleaner and more credible elections.
