Talking Indonesia

An important part of recent Islamic activism in Indonesia has been the rise of conservative women’s groups such as the Family Love Alliance (Aliansi Cinta Keluarga Indonesia, AILA). Moreover, several conservative female activists joined the 2019 legislative elections as candidates. Campaigning against what they perceive as threats against traditional morality and religious values, these women position themselves as anti-feminists, thereby challenging conventional notions of women’s political activism. Who are the women at the forefront of this new wave of conservative female activism? What motivates them and what are their main aims and strategies? How does their increased sense of agency relate to broader trends of growing religious conservatism in Indonesia? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dirk Tomsa discusses these and other questions with Dyah Ayu Kartika, a researcher at the Center for the Study of Religion and Democracy (Pusat Paramadina) in Jakarta and currently a Correspondent Fellow