The spectre of Communist women, sexual violence and citizenship in Indonesia

Abstract

In this article, the author examines sexual violence against women during a period of mass social conflict and reflects on how this violence continues to affect sexual and political citizenship in modern Indonesia. The demonization and destruction of a particular group of Communist women, known as 'Gerwani', during the mass killings of 1965-1966 created an ongoing , pathological discourse about politically active women as gendered and sexual 'others' in Indonesia. The reconfiguration of bodies through sexual violence during that period continues to shape gender ideology and sexual politics in Indonesia, particularly through the prescription of more traditional, heteronormative roles for women's political participation. This negative association with sexuality and sexual violence affects the possibilities for women's active citizenship in post-New Order Indonesia, and renders it difficult for women to claim sexual autonomy or sexual citizenship.

Purifying Indonesia, Purifying Women: The National Commission for Women's Rights and the 1965–1968 anti‐Communist violence

“…The accusations that Communist women had acted with sexual license and sadistic violence placed women and women's bodies at the center of the 1965–1966 violence. It resulted in widespread sexual violence against women of all ages accused of being related to the PKI (Pohlman and Saleh , , :201). The stories gathered by Komnas Perempuan, Pohlman, and others show that in some cases women remained subjected to such violence for decades.…”

“…Even Suharto's predecessor, Sukarno, struggled with Gerwani women forcing them to subordinate their agenda that focused on empowering women to the nationalist project (Smith‐Hefner : 85). By vilifying Gerwani members, Suharto also succeeded in linking the idea of women's political activism with sexual and moral depravity (Wieringa : 281, Pohlman and Saleh , ). This move not just rendered these women unworthy members of society but also brought other women organizations in line.…”

“…These ideas and activities created a growing cohort of scholar activists who realized the importance of exposing the gender aspects of the anti‐Communist atrocities. It was impossible to understand “the violence itself and its legacy for Indonesia,” without taking into account the role of sex and gender (Pohlman and Saleh , : 205).…”

La tormenta perfecta: Ideología de género y articulación de públicos

“…Con base en entrevistas y archivos de prensa, Pohlman (2017) estudia cómo, durante el régimen autoritario del general Suharto en Indonesia, se produjo propaganda misógina contra las mujeres que participaron políticamente en la insurrección o que fueron acusadas de pertenecer a ella. Luego del golpe de Estado, la participación política de las mujeres en el comunismo fue demonizada y asociada con la depredación sexual de los hombres, lo cual legitimaba la violencia sexual contra ellas.…”

Sexual Violence as Torture: Crimes against Humanity during the 1965–66 Killings in Indonesia

“…50 In the testimonies of women who survived this violence, on at least some occasions, some men perpetrated sexual violence through opportunity; in particular, cases of "wife-taking," whereby women whose male relatives (usually husbands) were killed or arrested were then forced into new sexual relationships by men in their communities, were examples of opportunistic behaviours. 51 Crucially, sexual violence during 1965-66 was also a means to attack, humiliate and destroy perceived communists and, with clear intent, to harm communist women. Many women who have given testimony about their experiences during this time highlight how sexual violence was used against them because of their perceived communist connections, and that it was a deliberate strategy to harm them.…”