KCIF 2024 Feminist Conference: No Democracy Without Gender Justice

Letsstalk Sexualities and Konde.co have finished organizing the 2^nd Annual Kartini Conference on Indonesian Feminism (KCIF 2024). This conference hold virtually 24^th – 30^th June, 2024 and invited activists, academics, and practitioners. They discussed and strengthened the synergy of feminist studies and activism in Indonesia, focusing the challenges of national oligarchic politics and global fascism.

The main theme was “Strengthening the Synergy of Indonesia Feminism Studies and Activism in the Middle of National Oligarchy Politics and Global Fascism”. The KCIF 2024 featured 45 panel discussion topic that was bringing activists, academics, and practitioners in in-depth discussions with a total of approximately 1500 participants.

Prof. Rosalia Sciortino (Professor at Mahidol University and Chulalangkorn University, Thailand) became one of the main highlights addressing the political challenges of national oligarchy and global fascism in the context of the close relationship between feminism and political struggle. Rosalia emphasized that issues related to women cannot be separated from the political context. Its because patriarchy is not only a power structure but also a system that regulates power relations in society.

“The feminist movement is very clear; matters related to women are political. They cannot be resolved without addressing them in a political context. This is a political struggle, which focuses on patriarchy. Patriarchy is a system of power,” Rosalia emphasized.

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Rosalia also underlined the importance of recognizing multiple forms of oppression and interrelated power structures, including class, ethnicity, and race. According to her, the feminist movement needs to question and fight all these forms of justice.

“In the third wave of feminism, it is clear stated that what we must pay attention to the interaction between gender structures and gender power with power structures in the forms of class, ethnicity, race and other social structures. We must see it as entity and should be resist,” she said.

Criticism often being ignored while discussing gender identity. Rosalia highlights that the protection of women could not succeed if it was not followed by critical questioning of the systems that disempower them. The active participation of women and non-binary groups were crucial in strengthening social movements to achieve justice, built equitable economic systems, and supported inclusive democracy.

“The oppression of women and the spread of authoritarianism are mutually reinforcing ills. The participation of women and non-binary groups will strengthen social movements for justice, build a fair economic system, and save democracy,’ Rosalia explained.

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In addition, Rosalia emphasized that the development of oligarchy resulted from dysfunctional democracy. The breakdown of the principles of democracy could be seen from justice and legal decisions based on legal considerations and justice without personal interests or nepotism.

If legal system could not function independently, it would only threaten the credibility of legal institutions and weakens the foundation of the democracy. So, it needed reformation to restore the integrity and autonomy of legal institutions as guardians of justice and the fulfillment of citizens’ rights in a fair and equitable manner.

“The constitutional court and the supreme court will not be elected and support the president’s children if the legal system is democratic. Now, we can call it as failed democracy because the legal system, which is supposed to independently control the other elements of the state, is clearly not functioning,” she emphasized.

In gender movement in Indonesia, it should extent to win key affirmations of feminism, against authoritarianism and supporting agencies which focused on solidarity and mutual care. In addition, the concern for the environment was also an important aspect of the women’s movement.

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In the context of global fascism, the ongoing colonization of Palestine became major issues. KCIF 2024 tried to bring the issues from the perspective of feminism with intersectional perspective in criticism and reflection. In a special panel entitled “The Occupied Palestine and Feminist Movements” KCIF 2024 presented four panels namely, Loren Lybarger Ph.D (Ohio University), Dina M. Siddiqi, Ph.D (New York University), Nada Tayem (Temporary Faculty and PhD Candidate in English Literature and Criticism, Indiana University of Pennsylvania), and Intan Paramadhita (Indonesian Feminist, School of Women’s thought, Professor at Macquarie University).

Loren Lybarger, Ph.D shared the touching story of Leila, a young Christian women who converted to Islam during the second intifada and admired the dedication of the Palestinian resistance to the Zionists.

“Leila felt very alienated from her Christian community and found solace in Islam, admiring the dedication of Muslims to the Palestinian resistance,’ Lybarger said.

Reflecting in her journey, Leila offered a profound critique of nationalism and violence. Leila was a testament that supporting Palestinian independence didn’t mean being antisemitic. Leila, from Lybarger’s perspective, proved herself by befriending Jewish activists who were anti-Zionist.

“I opened my heart, I could see a human being in front of me, not a label or a flag. Part of my soul is so tired of all this nationalism and bloodshed,” Leila said.

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Nada Tayem, a Palestinian activist, highlighted the severed difficulties faced by women in Gaza, as a result of the nearly nine months of war that had engulfed the area. In her speech, Tayem noted that more than 10,000 women have died during the conflict, including 6,000 mothers, leaving more than 19,000 children orphaned, a data from UN Women’s latest gender alert.

“Nearly nine months into the war in Gaza, more than 10,000 women have been killed, including 6,000 mothers, leaving more than 19,000 children orphaned,” Tayem reported, citing the latest gender alert from UN Women.

Tayem strongly voiced the urgent need for global solidarity in support of Palestinian women’s basic rights. She emphasized to become consistent feminists, we must stand with Palestinian women in their struggle for justice and security. Her powerful statement raised awareness of the importance of international support in ensuring that Palestinian women get the protection they deserve and the opportunity to live with dignity in the conditions of occupation and genocide that plague their homeland.

“How can we truly be feminists if we don’t stand in solidarity with Palestinian women? They deserve a safe place to live, sanitation, and freedom like any other women,” Tayem emphasized.

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Dina M. Siddiqi, Ph.D from NYU, strongly criticized the narratives and power structures that support the oppression of Palestinians. In her speech, Siddiqi highlighted the widespread denial of the ongoing genocide in Palestine, which was actively supported by Euro-American governments, mainstream media, and major corporations, including some mainstream liberal feminists.

“We have witnessed total denial of genocide, actively supported by Euro-American governments, the mainstream press, and corporations, including some mainstream liberal feminists,” Dina said.

Dina sharply highlighted the challenges faces by feminists in the Global South, especially in the face of orientalist narratives and outdated civilization rhetoric that was often used to justify oppression.

She asked how we can act when international legal institutions were not only ignored but also dominated by the political interests of unwavering Euro-American sponsors.

“In the midst of months of live-streamed genocide, a sense of helplessness is rampant. How can we act when international legal institutions are ignored. with the unwavering support of Euro-American sponsors?” asked Dina.

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Dina’s statement highlighted the urgent need for a strong feminist response to global injustice. as well as the need for a broader solidarity movement to counter the power structures that support Palestinian oppression. In the context of KCIF 2024 conference, Dina emphasized the importance for feminists to broaden their horizons and international supports in the fight for justice and dignity for the Palestinian people who continue to struggle under difficult conditions.

Intan Paramditha, as the final panelist, began her speech with insights from an Indonesian perspective, criticizing the dominant discourse on Palestine in Indonesia that was often limited to religious and identity narratives, without including a critical analysis of colonialism.

Intan emphasized the importance of a deeper structural analysis of colonialism, racism, imperialism, and capitalism to thoroughly understand various forms of oppression. In her point of view, the Palestinian issues was not only political or religious issues. But also a feminist issue that required a nuanced and comprehensive approach in building global solidarity.

“Discourse of Palestine in Indonesia is often closely linked to religion and identity. The missing puzzle from the dominant discourse is an analysis of colonialism, which is linked to race, gender, and capitalism,” he said.

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An example of the absence of such critical paradigm was exemplified in the contradiction in Indonesia’s support for Palestine with the lack of recognition of issues in West Papua as a form of colonialism and military oppression. Paramadhita criticized that solidarity was often limited by identity politics or universal humanism that simplified the complexity of the issues.

“Although the majority of Indonesians claim to support Palestine. there is a failure to recognize that the situation in West Papua is also a form of colonialism and military oppression,” she said.

She emphasized that existing forms of solidarity were often limited by identity politics or universal humanism, which simplify the complexity of the issues. 

“We need an analysis of colonialism, racism, imperialism, and capitalism, which are all intertwined. This kind of analysis is the framework that Global South feminism and women of color use to understand oppression” she added.  

Intan’s critique invited participants to reflect on their own frameworks of solidarity and to understand the complex relationships between different forms of global oppression. She emphasized the need for sustained and informed approach to feminist solidarity addressing the structural issues underlying injustice in different parts of the world.

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“Existing forms of solidarity can be impactful but are difficult to sustain because they don’t address the structural issues and linked it. we need an interconnected analysis of colonialism, racism, imperialism, and capitalism”

“This kind of analysis is the framework that Global South feminism and women of color use to understand oppression. In other words, Palestine is a feminist’ issues,” intan exclaimed, calling for a more nuanced and comprehensive approach to solidarity.

Intan Paramadhita’s participation illustrated a commitment to broaden feminist perspectives on global issues and to encourage more comprehensive collective action in advancing justice and dignity for all women, including Palestine’ women who continue struggle under conditions of ongoing oppression.

Other panel discussion at KCIF 2024 covered a wide range of topics. These ranged from the intersections of gender and environmental justice to the role of digital activism in advancing feminist causes. KCIF 2024 was not only strengthens the synergy between feminist, research, and activism but also offered alternative viewpoints on pressing global issues.