Duration: March 2013 – February 2015
Location: West Java, Bali, Lombok
Partner: Solidaritas Perempuan
Status: Completed
Overview
The project aimed to strengthen women’s participation in Indonesia’s 2014 district and municipal elections by enhancing the leadership capacity of female candidates, building voter awareness, and encouraging political parties to support more inclusive representation. The initiative brought together women from diverse political backgrounds to develop collaborative leadership skills and advance gender equality in local political institutions.
Context
Despite Indonesia’s democratic progress, women’s representation in politics remains disproportionately low. Although women constitute nearly half of Indonesia’s population, they have historically occupied less than 20 percent of parliamentary seats. Barriers such as gender bias, limited leadership training, and lack of political party support have hindered women’s ability to participate meaningfully in governance and policy-making.
With the enactment of Law No. 8/2012, which mandates at least 30 percent female representation on party candidate lists, efforts to strengthen women’s political participation became increasingly crucial. The project responded to this opportunity by empowering women candidates with the skills and confidence to campaign effectively, engage with their constituencies, and advocate for gender-responsive policies. It also worked with political parties to recognize the value of women’s leadership and the importance of supporting female candidates at the local level.
Objectives
- Build the capacity of women candidates at the district and municipal levels in collaborative and inclusive leadership.
- Strengthen political parties’ commitment to supporting diverse and gender-inclusive leadership.
- Increase voter support for women in politics through awareness and education campaigns.
Key Activities
- Development of a training curriculum on gender perspectives in political campaigning.
- Leadership and campaign workshops for women candidates emphasizing collaboration, communication, and inclusivity.
- Political party dialogues to share strategies and challenges for enhancing women’s representation in party structures and electoral processes.
Impact
The project contributed significantly to improving women’s capacity to run effective electoral campaigns and raised public awareness of the importance of women’s political participation. By the end of implementation, 93 percent of constituents in the project areas expressed support for women’s representation in parliament—a substantial increase from previous years. Notably, public perception in Tabanan and Mataram showed an 80 percent rise in positive attitudes toward women in politics, with voters prioritizing candidates’ competence and policy platforms over gender or ethnicity.
Five project participants were successfully elected as members of parliament, reflecting the effectiveness of the program’s empowerment and training components. The project also fostered stronger cross-party solidarity among women politicians and established women’s political wings within several parties, creating sustainable platforms for advancing gender equality.
While challenges remained in securing consistent political party support, the project laid a strong foundation for a more inclusive political landscape in Indonesia and reinforced women’s leadership as an essential pillar of democratic governance.
