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CONFERENCE PROGRAM AND ICGCS 2021

ABSTRACT BOOK

Gender and Politics

MINANGKABAU WOMEN'S POLITICAL IDENTITY IN

POLITICAL REPRESENTATION

Lusi Puspika Sari, Ilham Havifi

Universitas Andalas

This study examines Minangkabau women in politics. The political identity of

women in Minangkabau as Bundo kanduang places women in a high position.

Centered on the mother in the rumah gadang who plays the role of urang

rumah, induak bareh and as a decision maker. Among these important roles,

Bundo kanduang plays a role in determining the success and failure of the

implementation of decisions made by men in their positions as Mamak (mother's

uncle), and Penghulu (tribal chief). This study uses a qualitative approach by

conducting in-depth interviews with Minangkabau women who are directly

involved in politics, in addition to observing the behavior of Minangkabau

women when directly involved in politics. In this paper, there are two factors

faced by Minangkabau women in the political realm, namely external and

internal barriers. External barriers come from the public, political, socio-cultural

environment that does not support women's empowerment in politics or

opportunities for women to gain political positions. These barriers are more

dominant in cultural barriers such as the stigma embedded in Minang men that

they are reluctant to be led by women and put women in the position of the

kitchen, mattresses and wells, as well as religion which some interprets that

women should not lead, not only this external obstacle. also women's

participation in politics is limited to the elite. Even in the modern era, it can be

seen that the power of Bundo kanduang as a symbol of women in Minangkabau

who functions as the control of the nagari government has been much reduced.

while internal barriers are barriers that come from the Minangkabau women's

self-factor which involves personal decisions. Thus, it was found that

Minangkabau women felt they did not have the ability to get involved in politics,

in addition to the dual role that women played, namely as mothers and wives.

The barriers that exist from within are very influential so that these obstacles

cause women to be less interested in politics, and even stutter to enter the

public world so that they have low fighting power.

Keywords: Identity Politics, Women's Representation, Minangkabau Women,

Bundo Kanduang

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