Javanese Women in Power
Java is the one of province in Indonesia. It is rich by tradition. On of its tradition is about women position in a family. It famous with patriarchal culture, women are in subordinated place.
Subordinated place means women have to obey their husband at home as domestic area; bathroom, kitchen and bedroom. Therefore, they will be good women or good wife. Based on that assumption, a research was done by gender activist in Bantul, Yogyakarta. What will happen then?
The researcher thought different and opposed. They saw another side of patriarchal culture. It is in a double burden. A double burden is one type of oppression in patriarchal culture, especially in Javanese tradition.
It shows the power of women. Eventhough, women only do everything in domestic area. Women could influence their husband’s policy to something they want. For example, Mrs. Tien Soeharto asked Mr. Soeharto as a president to build Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII). That is a power of Javanese women from their domestic sphere to public sphere, Indonesian people. The women is very powerful to influence their husband with their softly way. Beside that, in their family, the women as wife have power to manage their husband’s income. All of policies are in the women hand. Their husband just earns the money.
Those are an authority of Javanese women. It was showed in “Wanita Jawa”. It needs to socialize that there was a local wisdom in patriarchal culture, especially for double burden was needed in emergency situation or condition.
Because of that, it is really good read, especially for gender activist. “Wanita Jawa” shows another side of Javanese culture as a local wisdom. So it is recommended to socialize that double burden is needed in emergency condition of their life as wife and mother. It is an anthropology of women power.
Book:
Christina S. Handayani-Ardhian Novianto, Kuasa Wanita Jawa (Yogyakarta: LKiS, 2004) is reviewed by Mury
