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Wedding Invitation

Ramita Paraswati

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Poem: Vote

Vote

Fuel

Human Rights

Right to Speak

Right to Vote

Right to Be Chosen

Right to Win

Right to Lose

…………………..

See more on: https://aksaraquills.gumroad.com/l/pqqymu?_gl=1*1ibyiy2*_ga*MjA5MTAwODA3MC4xNzQzMjY2NjQ0*_ga_6LJN6D94N6*MTc0NDAzNjYyOC4zLjEuMTc0NDAzNjk2OS4wLjAuMA..

“Vote” is one of the poems in the book Nusakata by Ramita Paraswati. This poem delves into the inner conflict of choosing not to exercise the right to vote (abstention) amid a world filled with illusions of democracy. It portrays the dilemma between the duty to participate and the discomfort of choosing within a political narrative that feels too “white”

This poem is written in multiple languages: Indonesian, English, Javanese, French, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, Dutch, Russian, and Arabic, aiming to reach a wider audience from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Languages included in this e-book:
✅ Indonesian (original)
✅ English (Vote)
✅ Javanese (Swara Putih)
✅ French (Voix Blanche)
✅ Japanese (白い声)
✅ Korean (흰 목소리)
✅ Chinese (白色声音)
✅ Spanish (Voz Blanca)
✅ Dutch (Witte Stem)
✅ Russian (Белый голос)
✅ Arabic (الصوت الأبيض)

Poem: Vote Read More »

Poem: Fading Culture

Fading Culture

My body slowly fades from civilization,

My blood dissolves, pooling on the courtyard stones

Returning to the earth, buried beneath the motherland’s embrace,

Culture perishes in the arms of a generation

That forgets the language of its ancestors

…………………

See more on : https://aksaraquills.gumroad.com/l/lxlzq?_gl=1*if791d*_ga*MjA5MTAwODA3MC4xNzQzMjY2NjQ0*_ga_6LJN6D94N6*MTc0NDAzNjYyOC4zLjEuMTc0NDAzNjk2OS4wLjAuMA..

Note:

E-Book: Faded of Culture

Fading Culture is one of the poems featured in Ramita Paraswati’s book, Nusakata. This poem deeply reflects on how culture gradually fades amidst the waves of modernization and capitalism. With poetic and profound language, it invites readers to contemplate the importance of preserving identity and cultural heritage before it completely disappears.

This e-book presents the poem not only in its original language (Indonesian) but also in multiple translations, making it accessible to readers from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Languages included in this e-book:
✅ Indonesian (original)
✅ English (Fading Culture)
✅ Javanese (Lunturé Tinta Budaya)
✅ French (Encre Décolorée de la Culture)
✅ Japanese (色褪せた文化のインク)
✅ Korean (빛바랜 문화의 먹물)
✅ Chinese (褪色的文化之墨)
✅ Spanish (Tinta Desvanecida de la Cultura)
✅ Dutch (Verbleekte Inkt van de Cultuur)
✅ Russian (Выцветшие чернила культуры)
✅ Arabic (حبر الثقافة الباهت)

With translations in eleven languages, this e-book is not just a literary work but also a small act of cultural diplomacy, bridging different parts of the world through words.

Poem: Fading Culture Read More »

Book Review: Sacred Nature: Restoring Our Ancient Bond with the Natural World by Karen Armstrong

Sacred Nature: Restoring Our Ancient Bond with the Natural World By Karen Armstrong. New York, Vintage, 2023. 224p.

ISBN: 9780593319437 (hardcover) 9780593319444 (e-book).

Sacred Nature: Restoring Our Ancient Bond with the Natural World by Karen Armstrong delves into a deep understanding of what it means for human beings and the natural world to be in relationship. Armstrong emphasizes religious values inherent in human beings as the moral foundation for the existence of the Earth. She employs the terms “power” and “rule” in the context of the religious duty conferred by God on human individuals to dominate nature—duty that has too often gone unheeded in the modern era.

The book is philosophical and religious in its approach, and thus it becomes extremely relevant for those seeking to facilitate spiritual thought in solving the ecological crisis. This differs from other publications, such as Laudato Si by Pope Francis (2015), inclusive conversation among Christians, or The Spell of the Sensuous by David Abram (1996), being phenomenological and anthropological, but Armstrong takes a cross-cultural religious perspective. Her work is also different from Thomas Berry’s The Great Work (1999), which presents a theological vision and invites a radical transformation of human-nature relations, and from Suzanne Simard’s Finding the Mother Tree (2021), which centers on the relationship between nature and spirituality through scientific inquiry.

The Crisis of Human-Nature Relations: Armstrong’s View
This book offers a critical perspective on the lost relationship between humans and nature. Armstrong claims that this disconnection is brought about by a loss of human awareness of the damage inflicted on the planet—a concern she presents as holy due to its significance to the greater human crisis. The book thus tries to offer a new window through which to look at ecological concerns.

We are present, but virtually absent (p. 8)

Armstrong pinpoints the separation of human emotions from nature, which troubles her in the initial part of the book. She laments the secular approach towards nature prevalent in Western countries (p. 11). As a contrast, she invites readers to second-guess non-Western cultural approaches—such as Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Sufism, Buddhism, and Judaism—but that perceive nature in a religious context. This is further reconfirmed in the argument against “Mythos and Logos.”

The first chapter, “Mythos and Logos,” is a thesis that presents Armstrong’s case regarding the relation between human beings and nature. It invites readers to imagine the content of religious values in perceiving their world as being part of nature, yet science views such things as nonsensical most of the time. Armstrong wants to appeal to readers with differing backgrounds—religious or secular—to retrieve the human spirit that relates to the universe. She contends that contemporary humans have a tendency to reject myth as a source of spirituality and meaning, opting for logos instead. This, in Armstrong’s view, leads to both ecological and existential crises, as respect for nature and its relationship to human existence is lost. For her, myth can invoke emotional and moral dimensions, providing human actions with valuable guidance, but logos, useful as it is in understanding the material world, lacks emotional depth (pp. 16–17).

Thus, Armstrong argues that resolving this crisis requires more than rational understanding; it requires reintegration and restoration of myth into human life (p. 19). This integration, she believes, can give one a sound ethical basis for understanding nature not merely as a resource to be used, but as a sacred entity that must be respected and protected. Here, she emphasizes the need for an integration of reason and values which promote a close, spiritual relationship with nature.

In the next chapters, Armstrong offers several ethical principles for living with the natural world. Firstly, she highlights the necessity of reclaiming a sacred relationship with nature (p. 20). She argues that the ancient had a profound reverence for nature as sacred, as attested by various religious rituals—for example, those in Confucianism and Daoism (pp. 20–21). She calls on readers to assign more significance to life by embracing nature as an intrinsic part of spiritual life and to preserve the environment through significant rituals. This process is anticipated to create a moral sense for the more respectful use of nature.

“In the same manner, we can habituate ourselves to what the Chinese referred to as ‘quiet sitting’ and become able to recognize the shared life that pervades all things and connects them with each other in harmonious coalescence.” (p. 31)

Armstrong further points out that human beings are social creatures by nature and depend on other entities—necessarily including nature. In Chapter 6, she refers to the word “Kenosis,” or self-emptying, as a way of releasing human ego and pride (p. 48). She stresses that humans are in the web of life, not rulers of it. She also demands spiritual practices such as contemplation and meditation in order to make people realize the interrelatedness of life with nature. This is highly relevant today due to humanity’s dependency on ecological sustainability. For example, global warming—that is caused by environmental exploitation—demonstrates the actual consequences of human hubris. While the world begins to demonstrate signs of collapse, humans suffer the most: extreme weather, pollution, crop failures, and so on. Therefore, Armstrong appeals to individuals to act with full awareness of the environmental cost of their actions.

“Every day, the time we get up and the time we lie down, for a few minutes let us consider three things: how little we know; how frequently we are in default in kindness to other creatures; and how small are our longings and desires, which so often begin and end in us.” (p. 53)

The third moral virtue Armstrong discusses is gratitude towards nature (Chapter 7). Gratitude, in her view, is the best way to pay tribute to nature as the giver of life. This gratitude should be shown through the protection of ecosystems and not overusing them. Armstrong is concerned with the ethical responsibility of humans to preserve nature—not just for its present survival, but to pass it on to the future generations too.

Fourth, Armstrong refers directly to Hindu and Jain philosophy’s idea of Ahimsa (Chapter 9) based on non-violence—possibly even to the natural world (p. 71). She places Ahimsa within the Golden Rule introduced in Chapter 8 where we are taught not to cause harm to other living beings either directly or indirectly. This maxim leads us to take care of each being, even nature, just as we want to be taken care of (p. 63). Today, this holds more validity with the global green movements of tree planting, organic produce, and international agreements like the Paris Agreement and Kyoto Protocol, which also aim at reducing carbon levels. These are manifestations of respect for nature in the sense of natural focus and minimal chemical intervention. Armstrong urges readers to look to their own awareness and ethics and not to continue with a reckless disregard for man or nature.

NOTE:

This review is an English translation of the original Indonesian version written by Ramita Paraswati and published in Jurnal MAARIF: Arus Pemikiran Islam dan Sosial, Volume 19, Number 1 — December 2024. DOI: 10.47651/mrf.v19i2.266.
The original article was published by the MAARIF Institute, and the author can be contacted at ramitaparaswati2@gmail.com.

Original Book Review Title:
Sacred Nature: Restoring Our Ancient Bond with the Natural World
by Karen Armstrong. New York: Vintage, 2023. 224 pages.
ISBN: 9780593319437 (hardcover), 9780593319444 (e-book).

Book Review: Sacred Nature: Restoring Our Ancient Bond with the Natural World by Karen Armstrong Read More »

Film Review : When Life Gives You Tangerines

First broadcast: March 7, 2025 (South Korea)

Episodes: 16

Genre: Drama, Slice of Life, Romance

“Drama means: you tried your best.”

This sentence best encapsulates the gist of the Korean drama When Life Gives You Tangerines that was released on Netflix on March 7, 2025. Featuring IU, Park Bo-gum, Moon So-ri, and Park Hae-joon, the drama presents a heartfelt and emotionally gripping narrative based on solid writing and understated acting. It is more than just a tale of love and family, for this series is a portrait of women’s intergenerational struggles of resisting deeply embedded patriarchal structures in South Korea.

Unlike most Korean dramas, When Life Gives You Tangerines releases four episodes a week, each “volume” of which addresses a theme of loss, loss of a mother, child, lover, or ultimately, a spouse and father. But what truly distinguishes this drama is the manner in which it weaves feminist themes into the ordinary lives of its characters with honesty and subtlety.

Here’s why this drama is worth your attention from a feminist point of view:

1. Struggles of Women within a Patriarchal System

The first volume illustrates how Ae-sun’s mother, though under economic duress, becomes a sea diver in order to support her children. Gender discrimination is just as blatant in Ae-sun’s childhood, she is picked to be class vice president simply because she is a female, and later expelled from school for bad behavior compared to boys who are guilty of the same. Instead of being defeated, Ae-sun stands up to discrimination and then becomes an activist, claiming her rights in political and social contexts.

2. Gendered and Class-Based Discrimination

Yang Geum-myeong, as an adult man, is embarrassed by his girlfriend’s mother due to his lowly background. But the drama demonstrates his emotional integrity and dignity and introduces us to a woman who refuses to be determined by class or social status.

3. A Love Story Based on Equality

Ae-sun and Gwansik’s love life is a wholesome spin on relationships. Gwansik is not just a supportive partner, incidentally, he’s also a feminist ally. By insisting, “She’s not here to become your daughter-in-law,” he’s actively rejecting patriarchal domestic norms and safeguarding Ae-sun from the crushing expectations placed on women upon marriage.

4. Economic Empowerment for Women

Ae-sun’s grandmother invests her savings not in buying a house, but in buying a boat, a more economically productive item. This move underscores the importance of letting women exercise strategic financial decisions and defies the concept that a house is the ultimate sign of financial success.

5. Loss and the Will to Continue

The. death of a child is most likely the most devastating thing that can happen to any mother or father. But drama, again reminds us that life just keeps going, for those who need to go on. Ae-sun and Gwansik’s resilience in the midst of loss is demonstrated. not as emotional toughness, but stoic strength.

6. It’s Never Too Late for a Woman to Dream

The play highlights that women’s ambitions never grow old. Ae-sun writes a poetry book in her advanced age, proof that ambition and creativity are not the monopoly of youth, and that women can reclaim their dreams at any age.

7. Women Need Women

A poignant moment shows Ae-sun’s mother asking her mother-in-law to accompany her for a funeral photo shoot. This unstated request shows how even as mothers, women still look to maternal figures for emotional sustenance. Similarly, Geum-myeong, being in his thirties, still calls on his mother for help in taking care of his child, demonstrating the ongoing need for care and nurturing.

8. Parental Sacrifice as an Act of Love, Not Martyrdom

Ae-sun and Gwansik sell their house so that their daughter can study abroad. Rather than sentimentalizing sacrifice, the drama presents it as a deliberate act of love, something that recognizes the intergenerational cost of building a better future.

9. Parents Are Still Learning Too

The play depicts parenting as a lifelong process of discovery. There is one such agonizing moment when Ae-sun says, “Your father didn’t live for himself.” It’s a heart-wrenching reminder that parents always put themselves last, and that their emotional burdens are overdue recognition and pity.

When Life Gives You Tangerines is more than a family or romance drama, it’s a richly feminist tale of survival, resistance, and love that crosses generations. By highlighting everyday injustices and acts of strength, the show makes a strong case for gender justice, emotional truth, and rethinking what it means to be fully, authentically alive.

Some Quotes from this Drama
  1. “You can be ruined if you’re obsessed with status.” — Gwang Rye
  2. “When the time comes, all of this hardship will seem trivial, and I’ll be able to laugh about it.” — Gwang Rye
  3. “There will be tough days in your life. One day, life will feel so heavy that you’ll want to die. Don’t just lie there. Fight with all your might.” — Gwang Rye
  4. “I’d rather die earning money than die begging.” — Gwang Rye
  5. “I heard arrogance comes from emptiness. Maybe I shop so much because I grew up in poverty.” — Geum Myeong
  6. “It’s not life that’s evil, but money.” — Ae Sun’s Grandmother
  7. “Tell yourself that you won’t die and must survive no matter what. Swing your arms and legs with all your strength. You’ll come out of the dark sea and see the sky.” — Gwang Rye
  8. “The neighbors don’t know anything. Don’t listen to them.” — Oh Ae Sun
  9. “With 100 hwan a day, I just want to let my mother rest.” — Oh Ae Sun
  10. “I’m the one who’s poor, not you. Don’t stay still. Live your life to the fullest.” — Gwang Rye
  11. “All parents want their children to be loved more than anyone else.” — Gwang Rye
  12. “Today, my mother passed away, but I already missed her.” — Oh Ae Sun
  13. “In the end, all parents will die. Even if parents pass away first, the children must continue living. Life goes on.” — Gwang Rye
  14. “Parents think about what they couldn’t give, while children think about what they couldn’t get.” — Geum Myeong
  15. “I want to fly higher, but something holds me back. Guilt. The higher I want to fly, the greater my guilt becomes.” — Geum Myeong
  16. “I love her simply because she is my mother. There’s no other reason.” — Oh Ae Sun
  17. “Mother found her own happiness. There were bright moments in her life too. She had many beautiful times. I just want you to know that her life was also valuable.” — Oh Ae Sun
  18. “Talking to others is like writing a love letter. I carefully choose every word. When someone helps me even just once, they become my savior. But I treat the real savior—my parents, whom I owe everything to—like old paper. I’m not careful with my words or feelings with them.” — Geum Myeong
  19. “Dad always gave me more than he had. I wouldn’t trade him for the richest man.” — Geum Myeong
  20. “I can’t give you everything. But there’s one thing I will do for you, no matter what.” — Yang Gwan Sik
  21. “There’s no warm place in this world that would accept me. The only person who cares about me in this world is Yang Gwan Sik.” — Oh Ae Sun
  22. “There’s nothing in life you can take back. If your life and mine become one, then we’ll stay together—alive or dead.” — Oh Ae Sun
  23. “We may go through days of hunger, but you will never break my heart.” — Oh Ae Sun
  24. “Can love pay the bills? When people go hungry, they start to hate each other.” — Byeong Cheol
  25. “Do you know why I married Yang Gwan Sik? The most hopeless man in Jeju? Because he’s like steel.” — Oh Ae Sun
  26. “Mother, Grandma, Ae Sun came to live with me, not to be your daughter-in-law.” — Gwan Sik

Source: https://www.popbela.com/relationship/single/natasha-cecilia-anandita/kumpulan-qoutes-menyentuh-dari-drakor-when-life-gives-you-tangerines?page=all

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Cancel Culture as a Feminist Political Criticism Tool in Indonesia

By Ramita Paraswati

The recent wave of cancel culture in Indonesia, particularly in the form of hashtags to cancel celebrities deemed politically sympathetic, is more than a web trend. It is an indication of rising political consciousness, one that challenges mainstream discourses and questions whose voice counts and for whom. Taking Eve Ng’s (2022) definition, cancel culture is both an act of targeted cancellation and a broad public discourse of outrage. But it is also a digital mode of resistance whose meanings, if interpreted through feminist lenses, reveal the gendered dynamics of voice, influence, and state loyalty in the public sphere in Indonesia.

Gendered Dimensions of Cancellation

Cancel culture has existed in different forms across contexts. Celebrities in South Korea are “cancelled” for off, duty misbehaviour, drunk driving (e.g., Kim Sae ron) to sex scandals with underage women. These are framed as moral deficits. Celebrities in Indonesia are cancelled for politics, primarily for being on the side of the ruling elite, such as recent controversies over the Military Law (UU TNI). They were criticized like Raffi Ahmad, whereas some of them like Prilly Latuconsina, Reza Arap, and Nessi Judge have avoided being politically involved at all.

This divergence suggests the way cancellation in Indonesia operates not because of moral or legal violations, but because of proximity to power, state power. From a feminist perspective, this raises significant questions: Whose voice is amplified? Whose silence is replaced? And whose alignment with power is unacceptable?

Psychologically, cancel culture impacts public figures in complex manners. Vincent Adeyemi (2025) recognizes that the targeted individuals end up facing anxiety, social exclusion, and self,censorship. For women in particular, these consequences are compounded by patriarchal judgment. Women public figures are often judged not only for their political stance but also for representing femininity, nationalism, and morality. In such a context, cancel culture impacts women influencers more disproportionately who participate in both political affinity and gendered expectations.

Materially, celebrities, and especially women celebrities, suffer decreasing brand interactions and lost endorsements. While Indonesia is not as financially strapped as South Korea, with regard to cancelling contracts, economic reprisal remains a gendered silencing device.

Cancel Culture as Feminist Political Critique

Indonesian cancel culture has become a bottom-up political critique, a form of resisting state co-optation of celebrity influence. Initially noted during the 2024 presidential election as part of online campaign strategies, the practice now targets celebrities who are seen as state allies. The phenomenon is indicative not just of the campaigning element but also of frustration at the shrinking space for critical debate and increasing state capture of popular media.

Under feminist analysis, cancel culture is then a form of opposition, best utilized in the spaces where classical political participation is limited. Cancel culture disrupts the gendered hierarchy of speaking for the people, offering a type of criticism in which citizens, particularly young women and online feminist communities, can challenge hegemonic political identifications.

Structural Barriers to Feminist Digital Activism

However, cancel culture’s success as political opposition is circumscribed by the sociopolitical context of Indonesia. The ideological diversity of the country and political illiteracy weakened the unity of the movement. Furthermore, the lack of feminist political education leaves little space for the public to contest the gendered dynamic of celebrity, state relations or separate real activism from paid endorsements.

Goodwin et al. (2023) highlight the influencer’s ability to shape the discourse. Without transparency in state influencer relations and without feminist analysis, however, cancel culture is in danger of being an echo chamber instead of a force for change.

Toward a Feminist Future of Accountability

For cancel culture to be an effective feminist political instrument, Indonesia must appreciate inclusive political education and digital literacy. These efforts must focus on the voices of marginalized groups, particularly women and youth, whose opposition is repeatedly erased or downplayed.

Although Indonesian celebrities will not face career-wrecking sanctions like their South Korean counterparts, the growing willingness of the public, especially young women who are internet-literate, to challenge relations of power is a shift in public opinion. Whether this shift leads to institutional change or more gender justice is a matter of how well feminist challenges are woven into public opinion.

In the end, Indonesia’s cancel culture is not so much about blocking celebrities. It is about envisioning differently whose voice is heard, whose silence is interpreted as complicity, and whose power can be called to account—beyond a patriarchal democracy that worships celebrities.

Cancel Culture as a Feminist Political Criticism Tool in Indonesia Read More »

Empowering Women in Peace and Security: An Inspiring Talk with Temu.ide

Women have the right to feel safe and comfortable wherever they are—and they deserve a voice in shaping peace agendas. This important message will take center stage in an insightful discussion led by Ramita Paraswati, MA, this Saturday, November 9, 2024, at 8:00 PM WIB.

Hosted by @temu.ide in collaboration with @wpscentre.id, the event will be broadcast live on Instagram through the accounts of @wahyuwulandariii and @ramitaparaswati.

This interactive session promises to inspire and empower women by exploring how they can actively advocate for their rights and participate in peace-building efforts. Featuring discussions rooted in the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, the event aims to highlight the critical role of women in fostering inclusive and sustainable peace.

WomenPeaceSecurity #temuide

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Unveiling the Digital Vulnerabilities: Ransomware Attack Exposes Indonesia’s Cybersecurity Weaknesses

A ransomware attack on Indonesia’s National Data Centre (PDN = Pusat Data Nasional) reveals significant vulnerabilities in Indonesia’s digital security. The attacks influenced more than 200 government institutions including the immigration systems and education sectors. It encountered bottlenecks in the checkpoints and disrupted student enrolment. 

Unfortunately, the bulk of data has not been backed up yet. However, the government estimates that full restoration will be completed by the end of 2024. This long maintenance calls the need to improve infrastructures and resources. 

According to the MIT Technology Review which examines four categories -critical infrastructure, cybersecurity resources, organizational capacity, and policy commitment-, Indonesia was the last ranking among the world’s 20 largest in the Cyber Defense Index 2022/2023. 

The Weakness of the Indonesian Government in Digital Data Protection

The government websites well known have weak digital data protection, therefore Teguh, ethical hacker, mentions that children who learn to hack often use government websites as their testing ground.

The weakness of these websites can be seen in the last three years. Numerous government websites have detected “intrusions.” From early 2022 to February 2023, the Director-General of Informatics Applications at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Ditjen APTIKA Kominfo), Samuel Abrijani, stated that 683 government websites had been infiltrated by online gambling. Of these, 461 were affiliated with the go.id domain and 222 with the ac.id domain. These numbers have increased over time. 

By September 6, 2023, gambling content had infiltrated 9,052 government websites, meaning that in approximately six months, 8,369 sites were hacked. Additionally, a hacker named Bjorka caused significant concern for the Indonesian government by successfully breaching government data, including 150 million Indonesian population data, 1.3 billion SIM card users, and secret letters from the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) to President Jokowi.

In 2024, Kominfo urged government agencies to migrate to the National Semesta Data Center (PDNS), which is envisioned as Indonesia’s cybersecurity cornerstone. Unfortunately, the migration of government websites to PDNS has not been accompanied by adequate digital security preparedness. 

Consequently, the integrated data becomes an easy target for hackers seeking significant gains. These hackers see a jackpot potential in the Indonesian government’s negligence. This situation also indicates that the IT human resources, particularly those related to cybersecurity responsible for securing government websites, are of low quality.

There are three motives behind the hacking of government websites:

Firstly, economic motives: hackers seek to gain financial benefit through ransom from the government. In the case of PDN, the hacker requires an amount of around  AUD12.3 million. Although the government refuses to pay and focuses on maintenance of the systems. 

Secondly, educational motives: due to the perceived weaknesses of government websites, IT learners exploit them for experimentation. Although it is worth noting that hacking government websites is never justified, it would be better if they informed the cybersecurity staff about the vulnerabilities and ways to enhance security. The responsible government should also be open to accepting such feedback. 

Thirdly, political motives: the prevalence of gambling sites indicates that hackers aim to damage the government’s reputation through its websites.

Comprehensive Approach to Secure Digital Data

To address these issues, the government must take a comprehensive approach for three reasons. Firstly, the government must regain access to PDNS. Secondly, the government must enhance IT human resources, particularly those skilled in cybersecurity. Thirdly, the government should develop alternative strategies for data storage and management backups.

The government can take several steps: conducting thorough security audits of the PDNS system, providing cybersecurity training to IT staff at both central and regional levels, improving cybersecurity-related infrastructure, both software and hardware, regularly updating data security systems with the latest security measures, establishing policies for data breach mitigation plans (this policy should be implemented across all government domains), and collaborating with external parties to enhance data security. 

The Flaw of Implementing PDP Law

Despite the need of the Indonesian government to take necessary measures to secure their digital security, the PDNS systems also reveal the weakness of Indonesian digital security regulations. In 2022, Indonesia passed the Personal Data Protection (PDP) Law. Under this law, the government can impose sanctions on companies which fail to protect their customers’ data. However, the government itself is the actor who cannot protect the personal data of its citizens. 

The Call of Digital Literacy

In doing so, each citizen also needs to understand how to protect their personal data. Indonesia Digital Literacy Report 2022 revealed that only half of the respondents illustrated as having a good literacy in personal data protection. This depicts that overall Indonesians still lack understanding of private data protection. 

This situation reinforces the government to advance the resources and infrastructure in digital protection while improving citizen’s awareness to protect their own personal data. By doing this, the Indonesian government might have a good start to implement the PDP Law, otherwise, the government might end up being a hackers testing ground.

Authors:

Ramita Paraswati  (Alumni, Master of Political Science, Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia ; Founder, Indonesia, Women, Peace, and Security Centre)

Amsa Nadzifah (Master of Development Studies, University of Melbourne; Founder of Yayasan Literasi Desa Tumbuh)

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Discussion – All eyes on Papua at Dian Interfidei Institute

On July 12, 2024, Institut DIAN/Interfidei held a monthly discussion titled “All Eyes on Papua: Is There a Good Solution for Papua?” This event was moderated by Gispa Ferdinanda and featured Aprila Wayar, a journalist and novelist, who participated via Zoom, and Dr. Rochdi Nazala from Universitas Gadjah Mada. Ramita as representative from Indonesia Women, Peace and Security centre also join this discussion.

The discussion addressed critical issues in Papua, such as agrarian conflicts, limited access to education and healthcare, and recurring hunger. Participants emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts for achieving sustainable solutions.

Reverend Elga highlighted the long-standing efforts of Interfidei in promoting peace in Papua through dialogue and collaboration among different religious and ethnic groups. She stressed the need for continued engagement and understanding to address Papua’s complex issues effectively.

The discussion concluded with a call to action for greater solidarity and support for Papua, encouraging ongoing advocacy and awareness efforts.

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Widows and Multiple Injustices

Widows and Multiple Injustices

Written by Ramita Paraswati

“Many discussions about the women’s emancipation, but leave out the burden of widows.”

April 21 marks Kartini Day, which celebrates the emancipation of Indonesian women. This day has been instrumental in promoting gender equality and has increased communities, research, and institutions focused on women’s rights. However, the issue of the emancipation of widows is still overlooked.

According to BPS statistical data, the divorce rate in Indonesia fell by 10.2% in 2023, with 463,654 cases being reported compared to 516,344 the previous year. The seven regions that dominated the divorce cases were Serang (Banten), Lamongan (East Java), Banyuwangi (East Java), Tegal (Central Java), Majalengka (West Java), Garus (West Java), Brebes (Central Java). This decrease indicates there will be around four hundred thousand new widows and widowers in 2023 due to divorce, death, or separation. These women will now be faced with the dual role of being both mothers and fathers, which can be incredibly challenging, especially for those with young children who require both emotional and financial support.

Carrying out the role of mother and father in a household is difficult. Especially if they have small children who need assistance and education, moral and material burdens must also be faced by the widows and widowers. Unfortunately, the burden of a widow is often heavier than that of a widower, leading many women to have to work harder to provide for their families. Some even have to choose between their careers and their children’s happiness, emphasizing the importance of material needs over family togetherness.

This sacrifice can lead to tough decisions, such as migrating to other countries to work, turning to prostitution, or even becoming someone’s second wife. These women face double standards, as they are treated differently from unmarried girls despite sharing the same gender.

There are three crucial areas in which this double standard is evident. Firstly, unmarried girls are considered immature, while widows are seen as adults, even if they are still in their teens or have young children. As a result, parents and the community supervise girls more strictly than widows. This, in turn, correlates with social norms. Where girls feel the need to maintain their honor before marriage, such as the prohibition of dating. Meanwhile, widows have more opportunities to lower their standards of honor, such as allowing a man to visit for a long time or even allowing them to live together even without marital status.

Secondly, working girls are encouraged to pursue their careers, skills and passions without feeling obliged to provide for their families, unless they are willing to do so. Whereas widows, when they work, are required to provide for their families, even though they already have children who work.

The third is about marriage. In most cases, girls considered old enough to marry are encouraged to get married immediately to find a husband. However, this is less the case with widows who are more likely to be advised to delay their marriages due to the mental state of their children. On the other hand, men who marry widows may avoid widows with small children on the assumption that they will have to pay for the child’s schooling. It is different if the child is an adult who is either married or working, men will think that marrying a widow will be easier. 

Therefore, raising public awareness about these double standards is critical to providing equal opportunities for women to determine their rights. It will also help to create a more equitable society that applies the same norms and ethics toward both unmarried girls and widows, regardless of their status.

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