Female Candidates, Islamic Women’s Organisations, and Clientelism in the 2019 Indonesian Elections

This article analyses the factors leading to the success of women candidates in the 2019 elections in Central Java. Recent scholarship on women’s representation in Indonesia has highlighted the role that dynastic ties and relationships with local political elites play in getting women elected in an...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Muhammad Mahsun, Misbah Zulfa Elizabeth, Solkhah Mufrikhah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2021-04-01
Series:Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/1868103420988729
id doaj-ede68862f7eb47168b92094fccb3df64
record_format Article
spelling doaj-ede68862f7eb47168b92094fccb3df642021-05-09T22:33:38ZengSAGE PublishingJournal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs1868-10341868-48822021-04-014010.1177/1868103420988729Female Candidates, Islamic Women’s Organisations, and Clientelism in the 2019 Indonesian ElectionsMuhammad Mahsun0Misbah Zulfa Elizabeth1Solkhah Mufrikhah2 Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social and Political Science, State Islamic University Walisongo, Semarang, Indonesia Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social and Political Science, State Islamic University Walisongo, Semarang, Indonesia Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social and Political Science, State Islamic University Walisongo, Semarang, IndonesiaThis article analyses the factors leading to the success of women candidates in the 2019 elections in Central Java. Recent scholarship on women’s representation in Indonesia has highlighted the role that dynastic ties and relationships with local political elites play in getting women elected in an environment increasingly dominated by money politics and clientelism. Our case study of women candidates in Central Java belonging to the elite of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)-affiliated women’s religious organisations Muslimat and Fatayat shows that strong women candidates with grassroots support can nonetheless win office. Using the concepts of social capital and gender issue ownership, and clientelism, we argue that women candidates can gain a strategic advantage when they “run as women.” By harnessing women’s networks and focusing on gender issues to target women voters, they are able to overcome cultural, institutional, and structural barriers to achieve electoral success even though they lack resources and political connections.https://doi.org/10.1177/1868103420988729
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Muhammad Mahsun
Misbah Zulfa Elizabeth
Solkhah Mufrikhah
spellingShingle Muhammad Mahsun
Misbah Zulfa Elizabeth
Solkhah Mufrikhah
Female Candidates, Islamic Women’s Organisations, and Clientelism in the 2019 Indonesian Elections
Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs
author_facet Muhammad Mahsun
Misbah Zulfa Elizabeth
Solkhah Mufrikhah
author_sort Muhammad Mahsun
title Female Candidates, Islamic Women’s Organisations, and Clientelism in the 2019 Indonesian Elections
title_short Female Candidates, Islamic Women’s Organisations, and Clientelism in the 2019 Indonesian Elections
title_full Female Candidates, Islamic Women’s Organisations, and Clientelism in the 2019 Indonesian Elections
title_fullStr Female Candidates, Islamic Women’s Organisations, and Clientelism in the 2019 Indonesian Elections
title_full_unstemmed Female Candidates, Islamic Women’s Organisations, and Clientelism in the 2019 Indonesian Elections
title_sort female candidates, islamic women’s organisations, and clientelism in the 2019 indonesian elections
publisher SAGE Publishing
series Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs
issn 1868-1034
1868-4882
publishDate 2021-04-01
description This article analyses the factors leading to the success of women candidates in the 2019 elections in Central Java. Recent scholarship on women’s representation in Indonesia has highlighted the role that dynastic ties and relationships with local political elites play in getting women elected in an environment increasingly dominated by money politics and clientelism. Our case study of women candidates in Central Java belonging to the elite of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)-affiliated women’s religious organisations Muslimat and Fatayat shows that strong women candidates with grassroots support can nonetheless win office. Using the concepts of social capital and gender issue ownership, and clientelism, we argue that women candidates can gain a strategic advantage when they “run as women.” By harnessing women’s networks and focusing on gender issues to target women voters, they are able to overcome cultural, institutional, and structural barriers to achieve electoral success even though they lack resources and political connections.
url https://doi.org/10.1177/1868103420988729
work_keys_str_mv AT muhammadmahsun femalecandidatesislamicwomensorganisationsandclientelisminthe2019indonesianelections
AT misbahzulfaelizabeth femalecandidatesislamicwomensorganisationsandclientelisminthe2019indonesianelections
AT solkhahmufrikhah femalecandidatesislamicwomensorganisationsandclientelisminthe2019indonesianelections
_version_ 1721453986610937856