Role of Women Politician in Political Contestation in Sikka (Phenomenological Study of Participation in Women Legislative Candidates)

Abstract

The representation system as a modern form of democracy implies the opening of equal access and opportunities for citizens in politics. But political reality shows that women occupy a small part of political positions. This is because women's opinions that politics is dirty. A patriarchal culture that develops in society and places women in a lower position participates in perpetuating this. This study aims to: 1) Understand and analyze the meaning of female candidates in the role of women politicians, 2) To explain the meaning and experience of women legislative candidates in political contestation, 3). illustrate the meaning of the existence of female candidates as women politicians in political competition the method used is a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach and a liberal feminist perspective with participants of women politicians from several political parties. Research conducted in Sikka District shows that the meaning of the role of women politicians in political competition for each politician is different. The struggle for gender equality in politics has several limitations: 1) Not all women legislative candidates understand the gender agenda, 2) Women politicians who understand and fight for the gender agenda have not been elected as legislators, 3) Women politicians who understand the gender agenda and are chosen as legislators, do not optimal for managing gender issues because there are still cultural constraints related to patriarchy and its domestic role. Not all women politicians fight for gender issues. The meaning of the role of each woman politician is different.

The Role of Women in Political Participation in Cambodia: A Case Study of Svay Rieng Province

“…A patriarchal society and cultural standards frequently place women in lesser positions, and their underrepresentation in politics is perpetuated. Many women also perceive politics as a "dirty" area, which discourages them from participating in it [4].…”

“…This discrepancy can be attributed to several factors such as "perception of politics" Many women view politics as a "dirty" field, which discourages their participation. "patriarchal culture" Societal norms and a patriarchal culture often place women in lower positions, perpetuating their underrepresentation in politics [4].…”