The citizenship of Indonesian Women encompasses three affiliated issues: membership of a political community, the rights and obligations associated with that membership, and participation by those members in the life of that polity (Blackburn, 1). These three issues are discussed in relation to Indonesian women’s experience in the twentieth century. The membership of Indonesian Women in society has been a struggle to define because the state has been reluctant to deal with women on an individual basis. It is believed that personal and family laws should be left to religious courts. Also, gender roles implemented on women limit them in the opportunities that they can acquire and they are responsible to fulfill their duties as citizens while obtaining few rights. In addition, political participation has been severely limited for women because of their gender and lack of education. Despit
e these hindrances, greater opportunities and better education for these women will aid them in their struggle for their rights.
Under the New Order, women were defined in specifically as citizens with gender responsibilities (Robinson, 206). The most important responsibility that women had, in the opinion of the New Order, was as ‘responsible mothers’. This involved limiting the numbers of their offspring and leaving the responsibility of contraception to the woman (Emmerson, 249). With the continuing notion that women should be domesticated and should only contribute to the benefits of the community there will be little progress on the personal and state levels. This view needs to be modified and it needs to be recognized that women are more than just reproducers, they are intelligent and are capable of doing most anything a man can do.
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