Distortion of Women’s Representation in the 2024 Election

The Coalition of Communities Concerned with Women’s Representation (KMPKP) assesses that Indonesian women still face many political obstacles in the 2024 elections. Even the 2024 elections are considered a setback for women’s representation through the practice of regulating KPU policies that do not support the affirmation of women’s representation of candidates and do not encourage governance that is free from violence against women.

According to KMPKP, currently there are still social, cultural and political rejection and obstacles, both at the level of political parties, the state, and society towards women’s leadership. They noted that these obstacles include intimidation, vote theft, sexual assault, dismissal of elected female candidates and rejection due to female gender. Even though there are many legal umbrellas that protect women, ranging from the Constitution, Law 7/1984 on the CEDAW Convention, Law 39/1999 on Human Rights, to the Election Law.

“Forms of distortion of women’s representation, for example, gender quotas are not fulfilled, serial numbers do not benefit female candidates, lack of representation of women in political party leadership, and lack of support from political parties for women,” said Deputy Chairperson of Komnas Perempuan, Olivia Chadidjah Salampessy in the discussion ‘Evaluation of the 2024 Simultaneous Elections: Distortion of Women’s Representation and Increased Violence Against Women by Election Organizers’ in Menteng, Central Jakarta (1/7).

Olivia said that violence against women in elections occurs in the personal, public and state spheres in various forms, such as physical, sexual, psychological, economic, institutional and online violence. According to her, the government and political parties should have a systematic, integrated and sustainable design to support the electability of women in elections. This effort is considered to reduce political practices in recruitment.

She further explained that the actors of violence against women in elections in the political area are party leaders or members, other candidates in the election, campaigners and party sympathizers. In the social area, they include family, religious leaders, and mass media, while the perpetrators of violence from state officials are election officials and implementers, police and security forces.

“The victims can be female politicians and candidates, female campaigners, female human rights defenders, female election administrators, female journalists, and women who are currently serving as public officials,” she explained.

Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the General Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), Rahmat Bagja, said that the main problem in women’s representation in the 2024 Election is PKPU No. 10/2023 Article 8 paragraph (2) letter a which does not support the mandate of the Election Law regarding 30% women’s representation. So Bawaslu asked the KPU to correct 267 DCT for the 2024 DPR Election in accordance with the provisions of 30% female representation in Article 245 of Law 7/2017.

“The KPU ignores Supreme Court Decision Number 24 P / HUM / 2023 which corrects Article 8 paragraph (2) PKPU Number 10 of 2023, in terms of calculating 30% of the number of female candidates in each electoral district,” said Bagja.

In general, the percentage of women’s representation in the DPR elections increased from 20.5% in the 2019 elections to 22.1% in the 2024 elections. However, 17 parties out of 18 national parties did not meet the 30% women’s representation requirement in each electoral district in the 2024 elections.

Meanwhile, regarding violence against women by election organizers, Bagja said that during the period 2017 to 2022, there were 25 cases of sexual violence handled by the Honorary Council for Election Organizers (DKPP) with 21 permanent dismissals and 4 strong warnings. In 2022 to 2023, there were 4 cases of sexual violence handled by DKPP with 3 permanent dismissals and 1 final stern warning. Meanwhile, in 2023 it increased to 54 immoral acts and sexual harassment by election organizers who were complained to DKPP.

“Bawaslu’s role is to oversee the affirmative policy of 30% women’s representation both in the composition of election organizers and the management of political parties in the registration of political parties participating in the election, as well as candidates in accordance with the law,” Bagja explained.

Former Commissioner of Bawaslu RI 2008-2012, Wahidah Suaib said, if democracy ignores women’s participation and limits the development of women’s rights, then democracy is only for half of its citizens. According to her, what damages democracy are actors who are elected through the election process and then use their political mandate to degrade democracy. For this reason, she encourages more women to become policy makers in and from the electoral process.

“It is important for women to be present in the election to oversee the election process and results to maintain the purity of women’s voices as voters, election participants and election organizers,” said Wahidah Suaib.

Wahidah said that the issue of gender injustice in elections stems from gaps in access and power relations. According to her, not all women have access to adequate information about elections and there are still power relations that affect women’s independence in making political choices. This is the impact of the low representation of women in public institutions, especially election organizers.

“The rules on women’s representation still read “pay attention” and do not read obligatory, so it is often used as an excuse for parties who are not committed to fulfilling the rules on women’s representation, for example in the selection of KPU and Bawaslu,” she said.

According to Wahidah, the lack of women’s representation in election organizers can be seen from the number of women in office. Based on Puskapol UI data, Bawaslu RI commissioners are 1 (17.3%) woman and 4 men, as well as at the KPU RI only 1 (14.3%) woman out of 7 commissioners. At the provincial Bawaslu level, out of a total of 188 people, there are only 38 (20.2%) women, at the provincial KPU out of 185 members, there are only 39 (21.1%) women. While the KPU and Bawaslu at the district or city level only have 441 (17.3%) women for the KPU, and 315 (16.5%) female Bawaslu members.

“For this reason, selection guidelines are needed that regulate the technical affirmation of women’s representation of at least 30% at each stage of the selection of election organizers,” she suggested.[]