The 2024 election has just been held, and the role of women in the nomination to win legislative seats is in the spotlight. Women face complex challenges, because they operate in two worlds at once, namely private and public. In an effort to fight for equality for their people, women often have to sacrifice their personal lives.
They have to overcome various problems and obstacles that arise when they want to be actively involved in politics. Women are often marginalized, considered weak, and only as "complements" in the world of politics.
The interim results of the election for district/city DPRD candidates, especially in electoral district (dapil) 1 Pulang Pisau, show that there are only three women out of the eleven seats being contested. Nevertheless, this is a significant achievement in the struggle of women in the political arena.
They brought up emancipatory ideas that affirmed the existence of women in politics. Today, many women are competent, intelligent, and future-oriented, without forgetting the long history of women's struggle for equality.
In Pilang Village, the women's farmer group (KWT) showed active participation in the general election. All KWT members used their voting rights to elect candidates for government leaders. However, several mothers admitted to abstaining or not voting for the DPR RI and Provincial DPRD candidates because they did not know the existing candidates, either personally or in terms of their vision and mission. As a result, many votes were invalid in the vote recapitulation for DPR RI and Provincial DPRD candidates.
In the February 14, 2024 election, the elderly and people with disabilities also exercised their right to vote. The village government worked with the voting committee group (KPPS) to facilitate their accessibility in voting or going to the polling station (TPS). KPPS visited the homes of the elderly and people with disabilities who were unable to go to the TPS, bringing attributes and voting tools.
KPPS, together with TPS supervisors and witnesses, witnessed the voting from home. This is an effort to encourage equality for the elderly and people with disabilities in fulfilling their right to vote.
These efforts are inseparable from the role of cadres who are members of the KPPS and Bawaslu Kecamatan. The results of formal and non-formal discussions that are continuously carried out by the Bhakti Bina Insan Foundation (YBBI) together with the village government emphasize the importance of providing access and services that make it easier for the elderly and disabled to access the same services as citizens.
Mr. Peri, Head of the Community Forest (HKm) of Simpur Village, who also provided his house as TPS 2, told about the increased community participation compared to the previous election. The community and village government are more aware of the importance of the existence of the disabled and elderly in exercising their right to vote. This year, the village government and community worked together to provide election services, not only for the disabled and elderly, but also for residents who were unable to go to the TPS due to illness or other obstacles.
The 2024 election highlighted various challenges and achievements in the political participation of women and vulnerable groups such as the elderly and people with disabilities. The joint efforts of village governments, community organizations, and voter groups demonstrated a commitment to creating inclusive and equal elections. This success is expected to be the first step towards a better and fairer democracy for all citizens.
*Field data obtained from: Yayasan Betang Borneo Indonesia (YBBI)
