Kalyanamitra: There are 6 forms of KBG in the 2024 Election

The results of Kalyanamitra’s study show that there are six forms of gender-based violence (KBG) that occurred during the 2024 elections. The first form of KBG is intimidation. Intimidation was carried out by the candidate’s success team against female voters, along with threats to withdraw social assistance if the voter did not choose the candidate campaigned for by the success team in question. Intimidation also occurs against women activists, women election organizers, and volunteers from other candidates.

“Through 47 monitoring indicators, we found a lot of KBG in the elections that took place. In this form of intimidation, the victims are very diverse. ” What happened to election organizers, for example, was intimidation so that they would manipulate votes,” said Kalyanamitra Knowledge Management Coordinator, Lailatin Mubarokah, in the discussion “Monitoring Results of Gender-Based Violence in Elections in Indonesia” (24/6).

The second form of KBG is discrimination against female election organizers. There were cases of women who were not selected as Voting Organizing Groups (KPPS) due to gender bias from election organizers at the top level. Female housewives were not chosen because they were seen as unable to function optimally because they have domestic duties such as caring for children and cooking.

“It was not chosen for the reason that it seems like women find it difficult to work at night because they have small children, they have to cook at home, etc. So, only men were chosen. “So, many files were not processed,” said Lailatin.

In the selection of election organizers at the district or city level, questions from the selection team were still found to be gender biased. Female candidates are asked questions about domestic roles, which are not asked of men.

“The question is gender biased. When you were elected as election organizer, how were household affairs? Who will take care of the children?” said Suryani from Anging Mammiri Women’s Solidarity in the same discussion.

Discrimination is also experienced by female legislative candidates. There is a female legislative candidate who was originally number 1 on the list of candidates but was suddenly moved to number 3 by her political party. Women also do not receive any assistance from parties in legislative election competitions.

The third form of KBG is sexist and misogynist narratives towards female legislative candidates. There are still narratives that it is illegal for women to become leaders, that they are less rational and less educated, and that there is a negative stigma towards divorced women.

“There is also a negative stigma towards widowed women.” Narratives such as taking care of your family are not enough, let alone being a member of the legislature,” said Lailatin.

The fourth form of KBG found was sexual harassment and violence. The victims ranged from female party cadres who were legislative candidates to journalists who covered the campaign. The two forms of violence that occurred were, namely, forced use of the hijab, exploitation of wives to finance campaigns, disclosure of a legislative candidate’s sexual orientation without permission from the relevant legislative candidate, and forced marriage.

“We also discovered that one of the legislative candidates had committed a forced marriage to his child because it was thought that if he married off his child in the village in his electoral district, it would increase his vote share,” explained Suryani.

Apart from that, Kalyanamitra also found that there was a mobilization of the voices of women and vulnerable groups to gain votes. Vote mobilization occurred in religious studies, religious places, as well as families.

“Many use recitations to mobilize women. They were promised money; if they got this many votes, they would be given this much money.” There are also those who are promised that their children will receive scholarships,” explained Lailatin.

Another form of KBG is voting, which is not inclusive of pregnant women and the elderly. Both are not prioritized by KPPS. Pregnant women and the elderly must join the line to vote. []