Antara News·Indonesia·Thursday, August 20, 2026 at 12:35 PM

Ministry forms working group to boost women's political representation

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Anita Permata, Raka Adji

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, alongside female political figures, has established the National Women's Political Working Group to push for greater representation of women in politics through the Election Law revision.

"The involvement of figures from various professional backgrounds who possess extensive national-level experience offers a beam of optimism that we can safeguard women's leadership in politics and decision-making," Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Arifah Fauzi said in Jakarta on Thursday.

Speaking during a focus group discussion titled "Strengthening Women's Representation in the Revision of the Election Law," she noted that greater representation of women will foster more responsive, participatory, and equitable public policies.

Ahead of the 2029 General Elections, there are several key issues that need to be addressed, including the recruitment of election administrators and the registration of legislative candidates.

She noted that the minimum 30 percent female representation outlined in Law No. 7/2017 on General Elections has not been fully implemented in the selection committees for the General Elections Commission (KPU) and the General Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu).

"This is seen as a mere recommendation when it should be mandatory. As a result, 2025 KPU data shows that 15 provincial KPU offices do not have a single female member," Arifah said.

The situation is similar with Bawaslu. According to Bawaslu data from 2025, 14 provincial Bawaslu offices had no female members.

"In reality, election organizing bodies that account for female representation will significantly impact both the electoral process and its outcomes," she said.

Furthermore, a joint study by the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection and the University of Indonesia’s Center for Political Studies revealed that despite more than two decades of affirmative action policies, female representation in legislative bodies remains stuck between 16 and 22 percent.

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