Monthly Discussion On Women's Leadership in Muhammadiyah

Print this Page



Theme: Competing Image and Negotiating Power for Women’s Leadership in Muhammadiyah
Speaker: Kurnia Hastuti Dewi[#]
Date: Friday, February 15th 2008. At 15.00

On Friday the 15th of February 2008 at 15.30 we are inviting Kurnia Hastuti Dewi of the Center for Political Studies, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), to discuss the topic of Competing Image and Negotiating Power for Women's Leadership in Muhammadiyah to our monthly discussion. And as always the case with our monthly forum, it is only for limited participants. So please confirm your participation either by phone at 021-7820-444 (work hour with Nia) or by email to interseksi [at] gmail [dot] com.


Abstract (English)
This paper examines competing images of women leadership and dynamics of gender relations between Muhammadiyah and ‘Aisyiyah elites, and between old and young generations in these organizations. Interviewed with Muhammadiyah and ‘Aisyiyah elites indicates that they have similar concept on women’s leadership that women should behave according to fitrah. However, this paper analysis shows the possibilities that in practice, image of women’s leadership in Muhammadiyah is not monolithic. This paper also shows that there is struggle between the established notion of gender-role identities of being wanita sholehah for Muhammadiyah female as appropriate image for women leader vis a vis masculine traits of leadership which culturally assigned for Muhammadiyah male. The reservation of Muhammadiyah and ‘Aisyiyah prominent elites across generation toward female candidate with masculine traits of leadership and possible influence of the Javanese culture context in determining reasonable strategies for negotiation gender relations is also be addressed.

Bahasa Indonesia
Makalah ini memeriksa citra-citraan yang saling bersaing satu dengan lainnya tentang kepemimpinan perempuan dan dinamik relasi gender antara elit-elit Muhammadiyah dan Aisyiyah, dan antara generasi tua dan generasi muda dari organisasi tersebut. Wawancara dengan elit-elit Muhammadiyah dan Aisyiyah mengindikasikan bahwa keduanya memiliki konsep yang serupa tentang kepemimpinan perempuan, yakni bahwa kiprah perempuan harus sesuai dengan fitrahnya. Meskipun demikian, analisa dalam makalah ini menunjukkan beberapa kemungkinan bahwa dalam prakteknya citra tentang kepemimpinan perempuan di Muhammadiyah tidaklah monolitik. Makalah ini juga memperlihatkan adanya pergulatan antara gagasan mapan tentang identitas sebagai "wanita sholehah" untuk perempuan Muhammadiyah sebagai citra yang pantas untuk pemimpin perempuan vis a vis ciri-ciri kepemimpinan maskulin yang secara kultural diberikan kepada laki-laki Muhammadiyah. Reservasi lintas generasi elit-elit Muhammadiyah dan Aisyiyah terhadap kandidat perempuan dengan ciri kepemimpinan maskulin dan kemungkinan pengaruh dari budaya Jawa dalam menentukan strategi-strategi untuk negosiasi relasi gender juga dibahas dalam makalah ini.

[#] Kurniawati Hastuti Dewi is a researcher at the Centre for Political Studies The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Jakarta, Indonesia.

Tags: Competing image, negotiating power, women's leadership, Muhammadiyah