Perpetuating Stigma Representation of Widows and Divorcees (Janda) in Indonesian Popular Media

Abstract

The image of widows or divorcees (janda) has been negatively portrayed in the various forms of Indonesian popular media. Media critics have shown that media representation contributes to the spread of inaccurate and misleading ideas about janda in societies. This paper discusses the representation of widows and divorcees in mainstream Indonesian films, songs, and news coverage. Through qualitative content analysis of selected Indonesian films, dangdut songs, and news coverage using the word "janda" in the title, this study revealed that stigmatisation continues to occur. It found that janda are often depicted stereotypically across film genres. The appearance of janda in Indonesian film is accompanied by its typical attributes, such as "beautiful", "rich", "young", and "seductive". The negative representation of janda also found in dangdut songs. Through the title and lyrics, those songs often associate janda as inferior, powerless, or conversely, predatory and sexually seductive. News coverage depicting widows and divorcees, which should be based on facts was found to be excessively biased due to the addition of the journalist's personal opinion.

Perception towards Media Portrayals of Janda in Malaysia

“…Since there are more societal expectations placed on women than men regardless of their marital status (Parker, 2016;Setiawan et al, 2022), it is possible that female respondents perceive more negative portrayals whereas men are more oblivious to them. In fact, some men fail to register that jandas are portrayed in a negative light since they are viewed as entertainment (Yusuf, 2020;Sendrataria et al, 2022). In short, although there have been shifts in the way janda is portrayed in the Malaysian media towards a more positive light, such shifts are small and it may require a lot more time and effort before a consistently positive portrayal of jandas can be achieved.…”

“…Not only is this a clear example of how jandas are portrayed in media, the portrayal focuses on the patriarchal view where the female body is treated as mere sexual objects for male consumption while ignoring the reality that most jandas are single mothers who are fighting hard to ensure their own and their children's survival (Sendrataria et al, 2022). These authors note that the stigmatisation of janda in contemporary Indonesia has its origin in Soeharto's New Order Policy that entrenched patriarchy and delegated women to the subordinate position (Mahy, 2015;Parker, 2016;Yusuf, 2020).…”

“…Such portrayals may not be true but, unfortunately, they have helped shape the portrayal of janda for the society. Indeed, Yusuf (2020) points out that news articles about jandas frequently blur the line between facts and the writers' opinions even though the practice is prohibited.…”

Representasi Perempuan dalam Perselingkuhan

“…Penggambaran negatif terhadap janda juga ditemukan dalam lagu-lagu dangdut. Melalui judul dan lirik, janda diasosiasikan dengan individu inferior, tak berdaya, atau sebaliknya sebagai penggoda secara seksual (Yusuf, 2020).…”

“…Teori representasi dari Stuart Hall menjadi pijakan teori yang digunakan untuk menganalisa representasi perempuan dan perselingkuhan pada rubrik ambyar karena teori ini menggambarkan peran bahasa dalam memproduksi makna di pikiran manusia. Representasi meliputi bagaimana sistem produksi bahasa dan pengetahuan bekerja bersama menghasilkan makna (Yusuf, 2020). Representasi hadir dalam bentuk penggunaan bahasa untuk menampilkan perempuan dan laki-laki dalam peristiwa perselingkuhan.…”