Women and the State in Modern Indonesia [Paperback]

Susan Blackburn examines how Indonesian women have engaged with the state since they began to organise a century ago.Indonesian women have been organising themselves for about a century in a country that is renowned for its diversity, its recent change from authoritarian to democratic rule, and its selection of a woman president. What have women wanted the state to do for them, and, conversely, what interest has the Indonesian state had in women? This book is the first to examine such questions. It gives full weight to women's voices by focussing on areas of greatest public controversy, such as polygamy, motherhood and violence.Indonesian women have been organising themselves for about a century in a country that is renowned for its diversity, its recent change from authoritarian to democratic rule, and its selection of a woman president. What have women wanted the state to do for them, and, conversely, what interest has the Indonesian state had in women? This book is the first to examine such questions. It gives full weight to women's voices by focussing on areas of greatest public controversy, such as polygamy, motherhood and violence.What do Indonesian women want their state to do for them, and, conversely, what interest has the Indonesian state in its female citizens? Indonesian women have been organizing themselves for about a century in a country renowned for diversity, a recent change to democratic rule, and the selection of a woman president. This inquiry listens to their voices by focusing on areas of greatest public controversy, such as polygamy, motherhood and violence.Introduction; 1. State gender ideologies and the women's health movement; 2. Education; 3. Early marriage; 4. Citizenship; 5. Polygamy; 6. Motherhood; 7. Economic exploitation; 8. Violence; Conclusion; References; Index.