Women's Struggle

LOCKED INSIDE
By Charlotte Perkins Gilman

She beats upon her bolted door,
With faint weak hands;
Drearily walks the narrow floor;
Sullenly sits, blank walls before;
Despairing stands.

Life calls her, Duty, Pleasure, Gain–
Her dreams respond;
But the blank daylights wax and wane,
Dull peace, sharp agony, slow pain–
No hope beyond.

Till she comes a thought! She lifts her head,
The world grows wide!
A voice–as if clear words were said–
"Your door, O long imprisonéd,
Is locked inside!"

The world has always been male-dominated since time immemorial. Therefore, feminists say that science has always been masculine sphere. Women have been domesticated so that they don’t have power and chance to join the bulk of male scientists.

The emergence of feminist movement is, of course, expected to make science no longer only masculine sphere. Women expect to distribute their way of thinking and their experience in creating new theories, etc. and there is only one way: (now that chances to women are widely open) women must open their own lock to the outside world, to join the public sphere, in all aspects of this life, just like the last two lines of Gilman’s poem above.

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Science

Science seems to be asexual. However, in fact, it is male, a father, and got syphilis too. (Virginia Woolf)

How many centuries has this world been dominated by men? Uncountable centuries.

Therefore, it is not a coincidence if sciences have emerged from men’s way of thinking while women have just sat on the spectators’ chairs. Men who conquer the world using their way of thinking, turn their experiences as men living in this world into many kinds of theories in many kinds of sciences without involving women’s experiences and way of thinking since their role has always been only as spectators. Unfortunately, then, men generalize that their way of thinking represent both men and women. Women who were not involved in the invention of theories (because they were domesticated) are obliged to view this life using men’s perspective.

A very simple example. Men always think that they are stronger than women because they invented the parameter of what ‘strength’ is. Men can easily lift, let’s say 100 kilograms, things easily while women cannot do that. Well, at least, not many women can do it easily.

Women’s movement started to rise in the beginning of the nineteenth century with its summit in Seneca Falls America in 1848. This summit can be considered as the starting event of the increasing of women’s movement to make themselves equal with men, to liberate themselves from domestication. The emergence of this first wave women’s movement struggled to give women rights for education and suffrage. In the long run, this movement was followed by many other actions by women.

Referring the very simple example above, women’s movement created a different parameter to define what ‘strength’ is. Why different? It is because women have different experiences to live this life from men. Why did God create women—that men considered as weaker sex—to have womb and ovum? And from this womb are the next generation. Being pregnant and delivering babies are not simple and light things to do. It must be because women’s bodies are stronger than men. Besides, more women outlive men. It means they are stronger than men.

Women with their experiences as the marginalized party in this patriarchal society start to rise and enter the so-called exclusively masculine sphere, SCIENCE. Women start to invent new theories, using their way of thinking and involving their experiences as women. This of course results in new perspectives.

In literature, for example, women’s movement has dug out literary works written by women that have been buried and forgotten for decades even centuries. Before women’s movement, mostly men’s literary works were canonized, and only a few women’s works were included in the canonized works. For instance, take a look at THE NORTON ANTHOLOGY OF AMERICAN LITERATURE. You will mostly find men’s works that perhaps will make you think that women in the past didn’t create anything, and just became the consumer of men’s works. If you find a woman’s name, well, mostly you will only find EMILY DICKINSON. While in fact, during the nineteenth century, not only Emily Dickinson wrote stories/essays/poems/novels. Why were other women’s works not canonized? It is because the critics were very male-oriented.

Women’s movement have discovered some great women writers, such as Charlotte Perkins Gilman from America, and Anna Wickham from England.

Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar have published THE NORTON ANTHOLOGY OF LITERATURE BY WOMEN. By using their perspective and experiences as women, Gilbert and Gubar believe that many works written by women deserve to be canonized too.

This example I took from literature discipline, we can make a conclusion that male-dominated society has treated women unfairly.

I started this article by quoting Virginia Woolf, and to end it, I want to quote Annie Leclerc:

“I covet a world where women learn to view and value things using their own perspectives and not through men’s way of thinking.”

PT56 14.40 271206

Feminisme

Apa yang kamu ketahui tentang ideologi feminisme?

Feminisme tidak bisa didefinisikan hanya dalam satu kata maupun satu kalimat. Menurutku sendiri, menggunakan kata-kataku sendiri, setelah sejak tahun 2003 membentuk diri menjadi seorang feminis, pada dasarnya feminisme merupakan satu ideologi yang memberdayakan perempuan, perempuan pun bisa menjadi subjek dalam segala bidang, menggunakan pengalamannya sebagai perempuan, menggunakan perspektif perempuan yang lepas dari mainstream kultur patriarki yang selalu beranjak dari sudut pandang laki-laki.

Feminisme sendiri berkembang dan mengalami beberapa fase dan tingkatan. Maka tidak mengherankan jika feminisme pun memiliki sifat yang jamak. Kaum perempuan sedunia kemudian dapat memilah dan memilih sudut pandang feminisme yang sesuai dengan pengalamannya sebagai perempuan. Feminisme merupakan suatu ilmu yang selalu berkembang dan tidak mandeg, sehingga tidak ada yang salah dalam ilmu ini, selama suara kaum perempuan didengar sebagai titik tolak pengamatan suatu permasalahan/pengalaman.

Dalam artikel ini, aku akan memberi sedikit gambaran mengenai jenis-jenis aliran feminisme yang telah muncul.

FEMINISME LIBERAL.

Akar teori ini bertumpu pada kebebasan dan kesetaraaan rasionalitas. Perempuan adalah makhluk rasional, kemampuannya sama dengan laki-laki, sehingga harus diberi hak yang sama juga dengan laki-laki. Permasalahannya terletak pada produk kebijakan negara yang bias gender. Oleh karena itu, pada abad 18 sering muncul tuntutan agar prempuan mendapat pendidikan yang sama, di abad 19 banyak upaya memperjuangkan kesempatan hak sipil dan ekonomi bagi perempuan, dan di abad 20 organisasi-organisasi perempuan mulai dibentuk untuk menentang diskriminasi seksual di bidang politik, sosial, ekonomi, maupun personal. Dalam konteks Indonesia, reformasi hukum yang berprerspektif keadilan melalui desakan 30% kuota bagi perempuan dalam parlemen adalah kontribusi dari pengalaman feminis liberal.

FEMINISME RADIKAL

Aliran ini bertumpu pada pandangan bahwa penindasan terhadap perempuan terjadi akibat sistem patriarki. Tubuh perempuan merupakan objek utama penindasan oleh kekuasaan laki-laki. Oleh karena itu, feminisme radikal mempermasalahkan antara lain tubuh serta hak-hak reproduksi, seksualitas (termasuk lesbianisme), seksisme, relasi kuasa perempuan dan laki-laki, dan dikotomi privat-publik. “The personal is political” menjadi gagasan anyar yang mampu menjangkau permasalahan prempuan sampai ranah privat, masalah yang dianggap paling tabu untuk diangkat ke permukaan. Informasi atau pandangan buruk (black propaganda) banyak ditujukan kepada feminis radikal. Padahal, karena pengalamannya membongkar persoalan-persoalan privat inilah Indonesia saat ini memiliki Undang Undang RI no. 23 tentang Penghapusan Kekerasan Dalam Rumah Tangga (UU PKDRT).

FEMINISME MARXIS

Aliran ini memandang masalah perempuan dalam kerangka kritik kapitalisme. Asumsinya sumber penindasan perempuan berasal dari eksploitasi kelas dan cara produksi. Teori Friedrich Engels dikembangkan menjadi landasan aliran ini—status perempuan jatuh karena adanya konsep kekayaaan pribadi (private property). Kegiatan produksi yang semula bertujuan untuk memenuhi kebutuhan sendri berubah menjadi keperluan pertukaran (exchange). Laki-laki mengontrol produksi untuk exchange dan sebagai konsekuensinya mereka mendominasi hubungan sosial. Sedangkan perempuan direduksi menjadi bagian dari property. Sistem produksi yang berorientasi pada keuntungan mengakibatkan terbentuknya kelas dalam masyarakat—borjuis dan proletar. Jika kapitalisme tumbang maka struktur masyarakat dapat diperbaiki dan penindasan terhadap perempuan dihapus.

FEMINISME SOSIALIS

Feminisme sosialis muncul sebagai kritik terhadap feminisme Marxis. Aliran ini mengatakan baha patriarki sudah muncul sebelum kapitalisme dan tetap tidak akan berubah jika kapitalisme runtuh. Kritik kapitalisme harus disertai dengan kritik dominasi atas perempuan. Feminisme sosialis menggunakan analisis kelas dan gender untuk memahami penindasan perempuan. Ia sepaham dengan feminisme marxis bahwa kapitalisme merupakan sumber penindasan perempuan. Akan tetapi, aliran feminis sosialis ini juga setuju dengan feminisme radikal yang menganggap patriarkilah sumber penindasan itu. Kapitalisme dan patriarki adalah dua kekuatan yang saling mendukung. Seperti dicontohkan oleh Nancy Fraser di Amerika Serikat keluarga inti dikepalai oleh laki-laki dan ekonomi resmi dikepalai oleh negara karena peran warga negara dan pekerja adalah peran maskulin, sedangkan peran sebagai konsumen dan pengasuh anak adalah peran feminin. Agenda perjuagan untuk memeranginya adalah menghapuskan kapitalisme dan sistem patriarki. Dalam konteks Indonesia, analisis ini bermanfaat untuk melihat problem-problem kemiskinan yang menjadi beban perempuan.

FEMINISME POSKOLONIAL

Dasar pandangan ini berakar di penolakan universalitas pengalaman perempuan. Pengalaman perempuan yang hidup di negara dunia ketiga (koloni/bekas koloni) berbeda dengan prempuan berlatar belakang dunia pertama. Perempuan dunia ketiga menanggung beban penindasan lebih berat karena selain mengalami pendindasan berbasis gender, mereka juga mengalami penindasan antar bangsa, suku, ras, dan agama.

Dimensi kolonialisme menjadi fokus utama feminisme poskolonial yang pada intinya menggugat penjajahan, baik fisik, pengetahuan, nilai-nilai, cara pandang, maupun mentalitas masyarakat. Beverley Lindsay dalam bukunya Comparative Perspectives on Third World Women: The Impact of Race, Sex, and Class menyatakan, “hubungan ketergantungan yang didasarkan atas ras, jenis kelamin, dan kelas sedang dikekalkan oleh institusi-institusi ekonomi, sosial, dan pendidikan.”

Oleh teman-teman terdekatku, aku dijuluki sebagai feminis radikal. Aku setuju karena memang aku berubah secara radikal—dari Nana si konvensional menjadi Nana si feminis yang mengikuti teori posmodern banget, pengikut Jacques Derrida dengan teori dekonstruksinya, yang ingin menjungkirbalikkan segala hal yang konon sudah established, terutama yang berkenaan dengan kehidupan perempuan.

Menilik jenis-jenis feminisme yang kukemukakan di atas, memang aku bisa masuk ke jenis feminis radikal, yang percaya bahwa segala penindasan yang terjadi kepada kaum perempuan dikarenakan kultur patriarki yang telah menghegemoni sekian abad. Tubuh perempuan yang berbeda dari laki-laki—sementara cara pandang dalam segala hal di dunia ini selalu berangkat dari kacamata laki-laki—membuat perempuan menjadi sasaran empuk untuk penindasan. Misal: pemaksaan adanya RUU APP, bahwa perempuan harus dipenjarakan di balik rok panjangnya karena tubuhnya yang di mata laki-laki selalu mengundang untuk menyentuh, dan seterusnya.

Namun, aku juga bisa memasukkan diriku sebagai seorang feminis liberal yang percaya bahwa perempuan sama baiknya, sama berkualitasnya dengan laki-laki. Sayangnya hal ini belum banyak diterima oleh masyarakat, bahkan oleh kaum perempuan itu sendiri. Sehingga, untuk memberi kesempatan kaum perempuan berkiprah di bidang politik—yang selalu dipandang sebagai ranah maskulin—perempuan berhak diberi affirmative action, seperti di pertengahan abad ke-20 pemerintah Amerika memberi affirmative action ini kepada kaum African American. Kalau memang cara inilah yang akan mengangkat kaum perempuan di bidang politik, why not?

Aku juga setuju dengan feminis Marxis yang memandang relasi laki-laki perempuan seperti relasi kelas si kapitalis dan si pekerja. Untuk menyamakan kedudukan perempuan dengan laki-laki, perempuan harus bekerja, karena si empunya uanglah yang memiliki hak untuk menentukan sesuatu. Betapa selama ini, kebanyakan orang selalu memandang laki-laki sebagai the decision maker dan perempuan sebagai penjalan keputusan itu; terutama dalam institusi keluarga.

Sebagai seseorang yang hidup di sebuah negara yang pernah dijajah oleh negara yang kebanyakan penduduknya berkulit putih, sehingga secara tidak sadar orang-orang berkulit warna menganggap orang yang berkulit putih memiliki kuasa lebih tinggi daripada si kulit berwarna, tentu saja aku sangat setuju dengan Feminisme Poskolonial. Bahkan setelah Indonesia merdeka selama lebih dari setengah abad, pandangan bahwa yang berkulit putih tentu lebih menarik dibanding yang berkulit berwarna masih tetap saja ada. Hal ini dikuatkan dengan adanya iklan-iklan di televisi maupun majalah/koran, bahwa cantik itu putih.

In conclusion, meskipun banyak aliran dalam feminisme, belum tentu kita bisa mengacu seorang feminis sepertiku ini hanya mengikuti satu aliran saja. Ideologi feminisme bersifat dinamis yang akan selalu bergerak dan mengikuti perkembangan zaman, demi kebangkitan kaum perempuan dalam kultus yang masih tetap saja male-dominated.

PT56 12.03 231206

Soap Operas in Indonesia

There is a quite interesting article I read in one local newspaper in my hometown. It criticized some local soap operas in Indonesia that illustrate about teenagers’ life. They sell a dream to be a modern Cinderella: a girl’s life will change to be better after a prince comes to her life, especially a pretty girl who comes from a poor family, and the boy—just like a prince—comes from a rich family, who happens to be very kind, caring, generous, and bla bla bla.

To criticize the soap operas, the writer of the article used Susan Faludi’s theory called backlash. It means the effort done by people who are pro status quo of patriarchal culture, to counter the feminism movement, to go back to the era where women were not independent, because they need men to reach their goal—living prosperously. To attract those men’s attention, girls JUST need physical beauty, no other things, such as intellect and skills, especially academic skills. The writer of the article pintpoints that the soap operas sell dreams to young female teenagers, make them forget that there is a much more important thing they need to sharpen—their academic capabilities—rather than just on the surface, fair and spotless complexion, soft skin, slim bodies, beautiful hair, etc. Furthermore, the writer of the article stated that those soap operas are indeed addressed to teenagers, who are still pure, dont get “infected” yet by feminism movement, not like their elder generations.

However, I view it from a bit different angle. Susan Faludi’s theory about backlash is not really appropriate to be used here. Why? Different from many western countries, in Indonesia there are still abundant women who still don’t realize their rights to be independent women, to have exactly equal right with men, to pursue any dream they have, to choose any career they find cool, without any bounderies, such as “I am a woman, I am not supposed to be a boxer,” or an astronout, etc. When the mother doesnt realize this right, consequently, she will teach the same principle to their daughter as what they believe as “created” by God, to view many aspects in lives using their (out-of-date) perspective.

So, instead of (mis)leading the young generation back to the time when patriarchal norms rule people’s life, those soap operas just want to keep the status quo of patriarchal culture, because the fact shows that in Indonesia, until now the feminist movement is not popularly known yet. Very few of my students know what feminism movement is, they still think that the word feminist is similar to feminine.

Until now, the television world is still held strongly by men who still think it as natural for women to dedicate their life to their family (especially husbands) only, and forget their dream to make a name for themselves. Therefore, they still accept many programs from production houses that support this perspective. Many production houses produce programs to get benefit, so that they will produce programs that attract the owner of the television stations, companies that work in the advertisement’s field. And in Indonesia, it is very seldom for us to find producers who courageously produce different/contradictory programs, such as soap operas that illustrate how girls toughly face their life, without always waiting for the prince charming to come to their life, girls who actualize their intelligence, sharpen their capabilities, and get a job using those, and not just physical performance. Fortunately, I have a friend whose part time job is as a scripwriter. She never gets order to write stories that empower women using their intelligence and skills. When she writes one, no production house is willing to buy it.

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T H I S B L O G

This blog contains writings that offer new ideas and perpectives to view aspects in our lives, especially women’s lives. Perspectives that are mostly women-friendly, that have been marginalized by men’s way of thinking that view women as the weaker sex, since time immemorial. The writings don’t mean to ruin your established belief and perhaps faith in something. Even, I mean to enrich the readers’ knowledge about new ideas and perspectives. If you find it beneficial for your life, that is a great honor to me. And that is exactly what I expect from this blog of mine. If you find my writings (negatively) provoking you, just leave this blog. I address this blog to those open-minded people who are willing to accept the more just way of life for both men and women.

Don’t expect to find writings that just follow the status quo of patriarchal society.

Anyway, thank you very much for your attention to this blog of mine. :)

PT56 12.15 141206

TRUTH versus THINKING

Referring to my post some days ago about “Polygamy” I got some comments in one blog of mine: similar comments I got some months ago—attacking me for not being well-read on Alquran; laughing at my narrow-minded way of thinking. I am of opinion that I had better not give a shit to those comments. :) My reason is simple: they don’t read my writing comprehensively; or they have been blinded by the indoctrination they got from their teachers/ulema that polygamy is for benefits of the both sides—husband and the previous wife. Therefore, they don’t want to open their mind for another way of interpreting this thing. And I will still stick to my opinion that polygamy can be interpreted as HARAM when this thing engenders bad things to, especially, people who are involved, the husband, the wives, and the children, and generally to society. Just refer to my previous writing if you want to find out why I am of opinion that polygamy can be interpreted as haram (in the teachings of Islam, if people do something considered as HARAM, they will be punished by God.)
Another comment said: “how dangerous the way of thinking of someone coz it is not always refer to the truth.”

What is TRUTH?

It is the TRUTH that in Alquran Allah stated that human beings are not created to be able to do things justly (Alquran Surah Annisa: 129). And the main requirement to practice polygamy is being just.
It is the TRUTH that Surah Annisa verse 3 was passed down to Prophet Muhammad after Muslim people were beaten in Uhud war. This means that practicing polygamy at that time was to help women whose husbands died in the war.

And people have to keep thinking so that they will survive. It is the TRUTH that many kinds of medicines have been created to cure illnesses because people THINK to save other people, or themselves. From people’s curiosity—so that they keep thinking now and again—people have invented many kinds of innovations to make their lives more comfortable than their predecessors.
And when people stop to think, they will die. This world will stop.

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Polygamy

In fact, I am already bored with this topic. Some months ago I got upset and annoyed when I found a message in Perempuan (women) mailing list I join saying the plan of PW, the owner of one grilled chicken restaurant in Indonesia, to launch a tabloid named ‘Polygamy. I could directly “read” that the tabloid would be used to blind society where the majority don’t know well about Islamic teaching. I wrote some posts in my blog about this (read => polygamy) and I believe the readers of my blog could easily conclude that I was mad. (This shows I completely agree with Aquarini Priyatna in her book Kajian Budaya Feminis /Feminist Cultural Studies that she writes coz she is angry.) The readers of my blog at http://afemaleguest.blog.co.uk where the most visitors are western people supported me to damn polygamy. The readers of my blog at http://afeministblog.blogspot.com where the most visitors are people from South East Asia were divided into two, one side agreed with my disapproval of polygamy; the other side scolded me for not reading Alquran comprehensively where it stated that a man can have two, three, or four wives (Surah Annisa: 3)

After looking for some ‘cracks’ of my own posts, that haven’t been discussed by me, I come to this idea to write as follows.

The most recent shocking polygamy news was between one public figure in Islamic teachings in Indonesia popularly nicknamed as AA Gym with a widow having one child, in her middle thirties. I must say that many people in Indonesia idolize him while I myself see him only as one ulema, not different from others who had been popular before AA Gym made a name for himself. In my eyes, all (religious) people who are well-read always have chance to (mis)lead their followers by using (or abusing) the verses in their holy books. It, then, depends on their personal character.

Because I am from literary discipline, now I want to see these polygamy things from literary theories.
First, structuralism theory. This theory focuses on what is stated in one work, without involving any other aspects, such as the writer of the work (using expressive approach must be very impossible coz as a Muslim, I do believe that Alquran was passed down to Prophet Muhammad from God), the society when the verses of Alquran were passed down to Muhammad, and the readers of Alquran. One verse mostly quoted by people who approve polygamy is:

"If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, marry women of your choice, two or three or four;”(Alquran, 4:3)

But apparently they forget to quote the continuation of this verse, that is:

“… but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with them, then only one" (4:3).

Again, in the same Surah Annisa verse 129 Alquran states:

“although you want to deal justly, you will not be able to do that.”

Forgetting the continuation of this verse must clearly show the egotism of the polygamy doers, and those ulemas who approve polygamy. Isn’t it already VERY CLEAR that men as human beings WILL NOT BE ABLE to do things justly, although only a slight, people will always have this tendency. Therefore, isn’t it possible to interpret that practicing polygamy is HARAM? And we all know that those ulemas are very sensitive with this HARAM thing? Why don’t they apply it in polygamy?

Don’t read one work (read => Alquran in this case) only part per part, and then not read them as a whole.

Second theory is sociohistorical theory. We relate one work with the social and historical event when the work is written. In this case, when this particular verse was passed down to Prophet Muhammad. The verse was passed down after Muslim troops were beaten by their enemies. Uhud war killed many Muslim men so that many women suddenly became widows. Remembering that at that time women didn’t have access in public spheres, not having rights for their own properties either, to save these, this verse was passed down, to give green light to Prophet Muhammad, and some other Muslim men in that era to save those women to take care of their own properties left by their husbands. Prophet Muhammad and some other Muslim men then took care of the survival of those women and their children using their own heritage. If they hadn’t got married, it was worried that their heritage would be given to some other people—such as uncles—who then would just rob those unfortunate women.
Viewing polygamy using this context, we can clearly see that in this era, practicing polygamy is no longer acceptable coz now women already have access in public spheres, in Indonesia (especially) women can become the owner of the properties their husbands left and take care of their own life.
What else, then, is this polygamy for done in this era? Only to celebrate libido, stated M. Hilaly Basya the chief of Youth Islamic Study Club Al-Azhar (Jurnal Perempuan number 31 “Menimbang Polygamy” published in September 2003.)

To end this article, well, AA Gym is just a human being. I must say that it is not his full mistake when many people in Indonesia idolize him (as if they forget that AA Gym is JUST A HUMAN BEING. Prophet Muhammad, the most chosen person in this world for Muslim people couldn’t avoid making his wife jealous with his polygamy, moreover some other people.) It just shows that AA Gym has been beaten by his egotism, and his libido.

PT56 10.19 041206