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Muslim conservatism inhibits female opportunity in West Java
Jakarta Post - September 7, 2016
Advocacy groups for women's rights and reproductive health say the conservatism of religious leaders has hampered efforts to reduce the number of women who become victims to poverty and violence.
Rosidin, the executive director of Fahmina, said support and compromise from religious leaders was an important element in changing the lives of women for the better. So far, however, religious leaders have done little to help.
"Religious leaders have agreed to the necessity of a reduction in maternal and infant mortality, as this is something that must be done. That's why Islamic boarding schools [pesantren] that were earlier opposed to reproductive health and sex education are now willing to accept it in West Java," said Rosidin.
But challenges remain, he said, as religious leaders have persistently rejected the concept of gender equality. "There are now attempts to keep women at home due to fears of immorality, such as drug abuse and trafficking and promiscuity," he said.
In an attempt to reduce crime rates, the Bandung Police implemented a curfew in the city in 2014.
Although it was originally aimed at controlling the activities of brothels and other forms of insalubrious night-time entertainment, places like restaurants and malls are also forced to obey the 10 p.m. curfew. A street library was recently shut down by the Army after it allegedly breached the curfew.
There is also a plan by the Bandung administration to position clerics on Damri public buses as part of the city's da'wah (Islamic propagation) program.
In 2015, the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) recorded 389 regional policies that discriminated against women, 92 of them in West Java.
In a joint study between the West Java Advocacy Network and Komnas Perempuan, the 92 discriminatory policies were issued in 17 regencies and cities throughout West Java.
"Our research shows that the policies have a devastating effect, especially on women and children," said West Java Advocacy Network research coordinator Wawan Gunawan.
The policies deemed discriminatory are divided into five categories: policies governing the control of women's bodies (14), the criminalization of women (16), morality and religion (42), restrictions on the right to freedom of religion (17) and discriminatory policies related to manpower (3).
From the study, Wawan emphasized that the well-spring of discriminatory policies in Sukabumi regency stemmed from Islamic teachings. "There is a special agency for the enforcement of sharia. Tasikmalaya copied an sharia edict from Aceh without regard to higher regulations," said Wawan.
SAPA Institute program coordinator Dindin Syaripudin said many Muslim organizations such as Islamic Unity based in Bandung actively resisted attempts to promote gender education and reproductive health.
"We originally approached them on the issues of reproductive health and gender education. We believe women will have more freedom to move around if they are supported by religious organizations," said Dindin.
Indriyati Suparno, the recovery development subcommittee head at Komnas Perempuan, expressed agreement that organizations and female activists should embrace fundamentalist groups in their efforts to achieve gender equality.
"The principle of human rights-based protection should clearly be our attitude, but when taking measures we must compromise," said Indriyati.
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