But now they’ve got a new prospect to contend with: A female Sultana of Yogyakarta.
According to Wedono Bimo Guritno, a member of Yogyakarta’s Royal Court: “From generation to generation the sultan who reigns over Yogyakarta seems to adapt himself to the changing of times. In the past, it was not difficult to choose a prince, because, in the past, the sultan had more than one wife. But you know it’s always been women that hold the real power in Javanese households.”
The 72-year-old Sultan, Hamengkubuwono X, recently changed his own title so that it is gender neutral. He has also given his eldest daughter the new name of “Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Mangkubumi.” It means “The One Who Holds the Earth.” These moves were seen as an indication that she was being lined up to take over the throne after the current Sultan.
According to the princess: “As in all families, as the eldest, I have more responsibility than my sisters. But what the future holds, that decision is in the hands of my father. I have been raised not to dream about those things, or hold wishes beyond living a happy life now. There have been Queens in Aceh and in other Islam kingdoms, that’s all I need to say.”
The princess and her younger sister, Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Hayu, studied overseas and have come back to lead in various male-dominated positions within the court.
Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Hayu said: “I am very lucky to have parents that never said that is not a women’s job. It doesn’t sit well with some people but when the Sultan says so, you kind of have to go along with it. That’s the importance of a man saying that it’s not the time for women to stay back anymore.”
Though some aren’t happy with the perceived corruption of ancient traditions. The Sultan’s brothers and sisters have ostracised themselves from the Royal Court. One of them, GBPH Prabukusumo, laughs: “We are an Islamic royal family and the title is for a man. What would we call her, the ‘sultante?’ It’s impossible.”People are also worried about what the Queen of the South Sea, Loro Kidul, and Sapu Jagat, God of Merapi, will make of having a queen on the throne.
Agus Suwanto, a palace tour guide, postulates: “What will happen if there are two queens? How can they be together? I am not sure that can happen.”
The ancient animist lore, combined with Islamic conservativism, is about as tough a glass ceiling as a would be female heir could possibly face. But so loved and powerful is the royal family, that public opinion is likely to go with what the Sultan says.As for his wife, Queen Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Hemas, she is seen as the leader of the revolt against the male heir tradition. And she seems very prudent on the matter: “When my daughters were 15 years I told them they had to leave the palace, to get educated in the world, to bring back what they learned. There will always be conflict and power struggles at times of change.”
In times of change, perhaps a female heir to the Yogyakarta throne is exactly the matriarchal guidance required.
Taken from HERE. Thanks to Lima for the suggestion.
I found this article so fascinating that after finishing it, I open a new window and started a research about the whole royal family. However, the information I could find in English was limited. For what I read, the siblings of the sultan are against the idea of having a woman on the power. I am not an extreme feminist and I believe that men and women are different in a certain way, but it does not mean that one is better than the other. I like the idea of Princess Mangkubumi taking the power. For what I read, I have the impression that she is well educated and prepared to take the responsibility of governing. However, I understand that there is some religious limitations behind this idea but, in my opinion, I have the feeling is only their pride speaking. A good example of a successfully woman in politics is Angela Merkel, the german Chancellor. The gender in these cases should not be limitation and I hope the royal family will accept Princess Mangkubumi as her new Sultan.
ReplyDeleteMarcela wrote: "For what I read..."
DeleteYou used the expression "For what I read..." twice. It's not quite right. The preposition used should be "from": "From what I read...". Another way of saying the same thing is "According to what I read...".
I don’t have a problem with female leaders. Gender quality is now an important topic. Many females also have the ability to lead better than some males. Many other countries all over the world that has a female leader. For example, Germany has Angela Merkel as its Chancellor. Or Great Britain has Queen Elizabeth as its Queen. And those countries are now considered as developed countries. Maybe there are some laws or ritual that doesn’t allow female to lead. But first, we should see her background. Does she have what it takes to lead a community? Does she have a good education background to make communities better? Even Indonesia once has a female leader. It is true that man and women are different. But men and women also have different abilities. Including the ability to lead. I personally disagree if there is a law that restricts female to lead, because it is not to logical.
ReplyDeletePascal wrote: "I don’t have a problem with female leaders. Gender quality is now an important topic. Many females also have the ability to lead better than some males."
DeleteThe word "female" is a bit controversial. Here's my advice: use it as an adjective when the topic is gender but don't use it as a noun unless you are talking about animals. So, "female leader" is OK but don't say "females have the ability to lead".
See here: https://tinyurl.com/knnbo8z
Here's an excerpt from that link:
"The word "female," in its primary usage, is an adjective. When you use "female" as a noun, the subject that you're referring to is erased.
For example:
"I talked to a female yesterday."
A female what? A female kangaroo? A female rock snake? The subject of the sentence is not clear.
"I talked to a female presidential candidate yesterday."
This sentence is now about a human being.
It should be noted, though, that using "female" as an adjective can take a sexist turn when used in a case that isn't notable. Referencing a "female firefighter," for example, is appropriate only when her being female is pertinent to the story; otherwise, she's just a firefighter. But if you're talking about the first woman to become a firefighter, saying "the first female firefighter" is acceptable because her gender is relevant."
Pascal wrote: "Gender quality is now an important topic."
DeleteIt's "equality" and not "quality". Just a typo on your part, I think.
I think this is an important enough linguistic topic to warrant a blog entry of its own. Here it is:
Deletehttp://ews18.blogspot.com/2018/09/woman-versus-female-which-is-proper.html
By all means, I am within the proposition of having a female leader as I would describe myself as gender neutral in this type of situation. The prime power within the ruler of a governing body from a broad social institution should not be rendered to a certain kind of gender as it is a social construct by illogical and absurd past relics.
ReplyDeleteIn many cases, prominent heads of governments were female: the Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, the first democratically elected women from the Islamic world, Margaret Thatcher—dubbed as the “Iron Lady”—from the United Kingdom,and also thirty eight years old Jacinda Ardern from New Zealand. The vast and rapid changing of the social dynamics in recent years is undoubtedly a blessing as the preposterous norms are declining.
I will gladly accept Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Mangkubumi as a sultana, and in my opinion, a gender-sensitive hereditary of a monarchical government should be abolished anywhere.
Ryan wrote: "I am within the proposition of having a female leader as I would describe myself as gender neutral in this type of situation."
DeleteWe don't say "I am within the proposition". What we do say is "I agree with the proposition" or "I have no objection to the proposition".
Ryan wrote: "In my opinion, a gender-sensitive hereditary of a monarchical government should be abolished anywhere."
DeleteYou mean "everywhere", not "anywhere".
As the world keeps revolving in this globalization era, female leaders are now well-respected just like the male leaders by the people. It's not something that shouldn't be done or mocked anymore. It's all because the act of feminism. Feminism itself means a belief that both men and women possess the equal rights, whether biologically, mentally, or socially.
ReplyDeleteActually, if we look back in history, there are plenty of moments or era where the country or kingdom was led by a superior female all across the world, but unfortunately I believe it didn't happen a lot in Indonesia. Why is that? Because, in my opinion, cultures, traditions, and religions carry out an important role in our system. For an example, in Islam, we believe that our leader must be men, or so we called them as Imam, to guide and take responsibility for all of the things we do, because the women already have the job to give birth and raise children which believed is hard as the men's job.
I understand the reason why the siblings of Sultan Hamengkubuwono X don't agree with the new throne system. The throne has always been passed down to the male heirs. Yogyakarta itself, both the people and the government, still embraces their tradition very tightly. That's why it's challenging to accept if their leader will be a female in all of a sudden. Moreover, their belief in Loro Kidul and Sapu Jagat tells us a lot about how thick is their culture. Therefore, to subtly improve all of that will be a very tough choice and great responsibility for Princess Mangkubumi. But still I believe, the people will support whatever choice the Sultan and the Princess choose. For the siblings of the Sultan, I believe they have to accept the change of the system whether it gains them or not. Not only to avoid any conflicts but also to support the women's emancipation. The world is changing, so we must do to.
DeleteYou have described to opposing points of view and you seem to agree with both. You don't have to reach a conclusion or state a point of view, but if decide to do so, then make sure you are clear.
DeleteAzani wrote: "Moreover, their belief in Loro Kidul and Sapu Jagat tells us a lot about how thick is their culture."
DeleteTwo things.
Avoid the word "thick" in a context like this; it means "ignorant" or "stupid" and I know that is NOT the point you are trying to make! Maybe the word "strong" or "deeply embedded".
Secondly, be careful with your word order: 'how thick is their culture' is the right word order for a question but in fact you are making a statement here. COmpar yours to mine:
"Moreover, their belief in Loro Kidul and Sapu Jagat tells us a lot about how strong their culture is."
I agree when the feminist meets the tradition. Because now, men and women have equal status in everyone point of view. Long time ago, the King must be male because in that time women are to be slave and they only have rights to work at home and serve their families and child. But know, female is equal to men. So, if Keraton Jogjakarta wants to have female for their next rulers, its fine due to era of globalization and to adapt to this modern world. In fact, a lot of people even the Sultan’s siblings didn’t agree with this decision because it breaks the rule that only male can continue the dynasty. So, this case has break the relation among family in Keraton. Some issue say that the Sultan wants to have dynasty that only his family can continue Keraton because the first son of the previous King. For the better of Keraton in the future, the sultan families should discuss everything so it also won’t bother their environment.
ReplyDeleteAgga wrote: "I agree when the feminist meets the tradition. Because now, men and women have equal status in everyone point of view."
Delete"I agree when the feminist meets the tradition."
What do you agree with exactly?
"Because now, men and women have equal status in everyone point of view."
This is clearly not true!
As being ruled by a woman is uncommon in Indonesia, people would be debating over this topic. I personally find nothing wrong with Keraton Jogjakarta being ruled by a female. I think gender equity is required in this case. There is no guarantee that a male can lead better than a female, we should not underestimate someone’s ability to lead by their gender. As this might be a new thing to Keraton but, there is nothing wrong with trying. We will never know the result unless we try. The article stated that the female sultana studied abroad, I personally find this information interesting as she might bring changes to the Keraton and she might be an open minded person. She might give injection of the new era towards the traditional Javanese culture of Keraton just like what the prince of UAE did by allowing cinemas to be built in UAE and allowing women to drive. But, Keraton is a kingdom filled with many families. The current sultana should discuss this move with his other relatives and took considerate of their opinions.
ReplyDeleteAdit wrote: "The article stated that the female sultana studied abroad, I personally find this information interesting as she might bring changes to the Keraton and she might be an open minded person."
DeleteThis should be two separate sentences with the first one ending after "abroad".
Living in conservatism and 500-year-old rule still strongly attached to the mind of the society might be a challenge for feminists. In this modern era, development could only be reached if we take into account competence as the main consideration. It doesn’t matter what their gender is, if they’ve got the ability, then it’s their opportunity to run the province. It has been the Yogyakarta autonomous system which allows the current Sultan Hamengkubuwono to mandate the one to replace him sitting on the throne. Whoever got the approval shall be the best choice for Yogyakarta. Society is always allowed to express their opinion, show acceptance or reject, but one thing in mind: asses the next leader based on her ability, regardless of their gender, status, and other inevitable fates. Holding onto tradition might have a unique value, but we can’t neglect change for the greater good of the life of the whole society.
ReplyDeleteSita wrote: "It doesn’t matter what their gender is, if they’ve got the ability, then it’s their opportunity to run the province."
ReplyDeleteIt should be a full stop after "is", not a comma.
Feminism nowadays is a truly hot topic that has been debated in many different parts of area. When we are talking about feminism i truly support the word feminism and support all its different actions, but when it comes feminism meeting tradition i think that's its totally different thing. In this problem many advantages and disadvantages must be discussed to to find the right choice. In my opinion is that i think that we need to entrust the option of whether the Sultanate of Yogyakarta must be commanded by a women or a men to the existing Sultan right now. I think that he truly knows the condition of what is happening right now in the Sultanate whether it is external or internal. I think that he truly knows that there are things that cannot be accomplished by a specific gender either it is a men or women.
ReplyDeleteDhika wrote: "When we are talking about feminism i truly support the word feminism and support all its different actions, but when it comes feminism meeting tradition i think that's its totally different thing."
DeletePlease use capital letters correctly.
What does it mean to "support the word feminism"?
You "support" the word?
I came to believe that having a woman leader is not a problem in this civilization era. Many countries have proved that having a queen as their leader is not a bad thing and wouldn’t be any different with having a man leader. Queen Elizabeth of the Great Britain, Margaret Thatcher as the Iron Lady of Great Britain, and many other strong and powerful leader of the world are woman, and they have proved that woman is not weak, and have the power to lead the world. In my opinion, the perception of people that think that woman is not able to have the power to lead is wrong and should be changed. In this era, we should put in mind that man and woman have the same right to be whatever they like. What should be in concern is whether this woman have the ability to lead, not because she is a woman. For me, I agree with Yogyakarta having Sultana as our leader.
ReplyDeleteSri Sultan HamengkuBAWONO the 10th deliberately changed his title to win over the throne for his crown princess, GKR Mangkubumi (but he reverted back to his previous title). I wrote Bawono in uppercase letters because the royal title of the Sultans was Hamengkubuwono, since the coronation of Pangeran/Prince Mangkubumi as the first Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono. This article is quite intriguing for me, as the Sabdaraja (King’s or Sultan’s Decree) to change the royal title sparked a dispute within the royal court and royal family. The Sultan’s younger brother, GBPH Prabukusumo stated that this move is a violation of the centuries-old tradition. As a citizen of Jogjakarta, I honestly disagree that the successor to the Kraton’s Throne should be a Sultana. Though the talks on how women can lead as good or even better than men, this is not a matter of gender equality in my opinion. In the Germany where Angela Merkel reigns as the Chancellor is irrelevant in the matter of cultural aspect, because she was elected. And in Jogjakarta, where the traditional values matter more than politics, well there are some who think the other way around, but most of the population in Jogjakarta are opposed to this decision. I think it is important to preserve tradition when possible, and I emphasize that women hold as much rights as men to become leaders, but in the Line of Sultans, there haven’t been any Sultana and if GKR Mangkubumi somehow succeeded his father, this will mean violation and there is a certain point in the future where not only succession is violated, but the whole Kraton itself. And it’s somehow heartbreaking to see Jogjakarta, as the last few bastion of heritage of the feudalistic Sultanate to succumb and finally gives in on preserving tradition.
ReplyDeleteI read this article last week on the airport of Jakarta and was happily surprised about the content. Indonesia is, in my opinion, a quite narrow-minded, confessional and conservative country. Therefore I was relieved to read something progressive like this for once. In my opinion there shouldn’t be made any differences between women and men. Not in the lower class, not in de middle or higher class and consequently also not in the royal class. Even though I have a grudge against monarchies, I believe that even there the rights should be equal, because govern isn’t something men are specifically better at than women. I assume it is something you can learn and in my opinion women are just as good (or maybe better) at that. I believe that when the heir to the throne really becomes a woman, this would be a great signal to the entire nation of Indonesia.
ReplyDeleteLong live the “Sultanate”!
When I was in high school I had important positions in my school. I used to be a chairman of the Student Council. Based on my experience as student council president, I realized that everyone could be a leader because every individual has a different leadership style. Leadership is a talent.
ReplyDeleteI think the position of a queen is a form of administration and it does not mean that she has a leadership style that is suitable for her people. In addition, gender is not a mandatory factor that must be considered in choosing a leader. Choosing a leader must use a quality scale. Quality here can be interpreted as experience, background, and other abilities. That is why among these queens we need to see their quality and ability.
Besides that, I have the opinion that some traditional cultures existed since long time ago are no longer have a match with the times. So I think some traditional systems that are too old-fashioned must be revised because this will interfere with the work of an institution. So that female and male leaders are not a problem, but the thing to consider is the quality. In addition, cultures that do not support also need to be revised.
This might be one of the most progressive things to happen in Indonesia. Women have always been the subject of ridicule and even underestimation in the matters of governing and politics with the belief that women have weaker wills than men, and although recent history has given us a lot of reasons to dispute that belief it is still prevalent in the hearts of many citizens especially those who are uneducated and archaic. while I don't necessarily believe that women could hold a position of power better than men, I do support having a female candidate welcomed with the same opportunities as men do. I believe that in politics gender doesn't affect a whole lot but your education and conscience does, Indonesia deserves and desperately needs people in power to be more caring to their citizens and those with a good heart, and I believe they will be welcomed with open arms whether they be a man or woman.
ReplyDeleteIf the heir to the next throne for the Sultan of Yogyakarta were a woman, the daughter of the current Sultan, I personally would not have any objection because many people in this country are still closed-minded due to lack of education and exposure given to them when they were still students. It would be wiser to give the throne to a woman who is very smart, open-minded, and have the required aspects to be a queen of Yogyakarta rather than giving the throne to a man who have not experienced much of the world and still holds stiff patriarchal values. I know that the tradition is that the throne has always been given to a man before but as said before, at times of change, people have to change their perspectives so that a society wouldn’t be too rigid and would be able to adapt to future changes because the only thing in this world that is constant is change.
ReplyDeleteThis article really opens my eye towards The Sultnate of Yogyakarta. Like most people, or atleast the majority that commented on this article, I am one hundred percent on the side supporting this idea of having a queen for The Sultanate of Yogyakarta. but, what im going to discuss in this comment section is not why I completely support this decision. but instead, I am going to discuss why this decision baffled me when I red it for the first time. Yes, this decision may originated from one of the Sultanate that gave a ton of support in helping Indonesia during their hard times after the independence and also one of the first sultanate that surrender all of its land to Republic of Indonesia, but having the idea of a queen leading baffled me. Think about it, this royal family and its culture is more than 200 years old, and the current king himself, who is Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, is 72 years old yet he believed that equality is more important than their 200 years old culture. My conclusion here is that no matter how old and closeminded your environment made you, you can still make a difference.
ReplyDeleteAs a person who has lived for 14 years in Yogyakarta, this topic is so interesting for me. From the rumors which I have heard, the next leader will be Sultan’s oldest daughter but for the certainty it still hasn’t been said. Until now, this thing is still being debated by the people as since long year ago, Yogyakarta was always led by a male with the title of “Sultan”. And also, it has been a tradition that the successor always comes from the royal family (originated from Keraton) and usually it is the son of Sultan who becomes the next leader. But now Sultan Hamengkubuwono X doesn’t have any son but four daughters instead. Since Sultan doesn’t have any son, there is no other options than choosing Sultan’s daughter as the next leader of Yogyakarta. For me, if the next leader of Yogyakarta is a female it will not be a problem at all. The fact that she is well educated makes me think that if she really becomes the next leader, she will be such a good leader with her own point of view as a woman. However, the next leader should be from the royal family itself. So, I think It will not be original if it is not from the real royal family.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that woman could rule a kingdom too, but a queen, here in Yogyakarta Sultanate ? hmm I don’t think it’s a good idea. It’s not that I against the idea of a queen runs the Yogyakarta Sultanate, but I think it’s just kind of ruining the tradition. Since the origin of Yogyakarta Sultanate is from the Islam Mataram Kingdom, the king’s title is “Ngarso Dalem Sampeyan Dalem Ingkang Sinuwun Kanjeng Sultan Hamengku Buwono Senopati Ing Ngalaga Ngabdurrakhman Sayidin Panatagama Khalifatullah Ingkang Jumeneng Kaping Sedasa Ing Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat”. To be more specific, the title “Khalifatullah” means that the Sultan is the incarnation of the God Himself, which also means that a Sultan have to be the leader or the “imam” in Islam. A woman cannot inherit the title Khalifatullah, since in Islam, only a man could be the imam. Well, I think it’s better to stick with the tradition since it makes Yogyakarta unique.
ReplyDeleteShen wrote: "the king’s title is “Ngarso Dalem Sampeyan Dalem Ingkang Sinuwun Kanjeng Sultan Hamengku Buwono Senopati Ing Ngalaga Ngabdurrakhman Sayidin Panatagama Khalifatullah Ingkang Jumeneng Kaping Sedasa Ing Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat”
DeleteIf you'd written his name out only 6 times, that would have been about 150 words!
It is always an interesting topic to discuss; Feminism in Indonesia. The culture that shapes traditions in Indonesia is believed to be very sacred. In fact, some believe that it could bring bad luck whenever a tradition is not done properly. Some would still view that by having women performing men’s work is something against the tradition existing. On the other hand, the intelligence and quality of women nowadays are almost equal to men. Therefore, this does not rule out the possibility for the Sultan’s daughter to be the next heir of the throne. Despite such possibility, it is true that in Islam, men tend to be more qualified and trustworthy than women. Although, this is because of the fact that Islam really respect women’s right by valuing them, keeping them sacred and safe, as well as having them protected. It’s not that by not allowing them to be leaders, women are being discriminated. The aim is to appreciate their existence especially in the past where the community was not as modern as it is today.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, the era has changed. Most women have been getting the same education and have been flourishing same skills as men. In my opinion, there should be flexibility among traditions in this modern era. It is also the only way for cultures to survive. Therefore, having the eldest daughter of the current sultan to be the next official heir of the sultanate will really prove the progress that has been made by women throughout the period.
To be honest, I don’t really have a problem if the next sultan of Yogyakarta’s would be a woman. The reason as to why people think that it is not a good thing to have a woman as a leader is because they think that when a woman becomes a leader, the woman would use their feelings more than they use their brain. This kind of stereotypes is what made woman, “take a step back” situation and let the man lead the group. But does this kind of stereotypes really represent how a woman act or lead? I mean if she really has what it takes to lead a group or a province or if she has a good reputation and a good academic knowledge, why not let them lead us? Heck, we used to have a woman as a president in Indonesia, but did she lead us in a good way? Well you can answer that question for yourselves. My point is, don’t let our gender and people’s opinion restrict our capabilities. If you have a good academic background and you could understand the problem that was given to you, just give it go.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting topic to discuss here, because people already talked about this problem since long time ago which is who gonna replace sultan in Yogyakarta since he didn’t have a son, for me his oldest daughter should replace him since theres no other alternatives and we are in the era where men and women are equal. Eventhough some people think that if sultan gives his throne to his daughter will be against tradition, for me if his daughter have all the required aspect to be the next Yogyakarta leader then it means she deserved it, the rights should be equal because these days women and men are equal. leading a province is not about the gender, its about decision and leadership, I believe women these days capable to do those things and in this world theres a lot of example a women become a leader and theres no big of a problem caused by the gender.
ReplyDeleteAw snap! What a really nice topic we got here. I have heard about this when my parents were talking about who is gonna replace the sultan since he didn’t have a son and having a woman to be on the throne is against the tradition. Personally I do think that we need to get rid of the tradition of man having a higher status than woman, why?. Because not only we are already living in an era where man and woman is equal but also there have been many prove that now it seems that woman is kinda stronger than man. So I do think that a change of gender in the throne for the next Sultan is a major breakthrough for Jogja’s royal family not only because this will be the first time a woman rule Jogja but also it will show to the world itself that woman is as capable as man does in leadership. - Dimas Aditya Permana
ReplyDeleteThis topic is really taking my interest. I’m always curious about things that contain royal family. For a woman to hold a crown and lead a kingdom is very rare these days. Having a female leader is a new thing for Yogyakarta, especially with this feminism topic that spread very fast in Indonesia. Personally I don’t mind being ruled by a woman. Even for generation-to-generation Yogyakarta is already ruled by a king titled “Sultan”, I think it is still worth a shot to let woman rule a kingdom. The problem about the next heir of The Sultanate of Yogyakarta is a very interesting topic since Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X don’t have any son, but he have five daughters while the rule said that the one who could rule the kingdom should be male not a female. As time goes by and the society change, the idea of woman could also rule a kingdom is getting socially accepted and supported especially since the gender equality and feminist movement happens all across Indonesia.
ReplyDeleteI believe what in Sultan Hamengkubuwono X’s mind now is how to make his successor which is a woman be accepted in society. According to the history, it was the first time for Mataram Kingdom to enthrone a woman leader of Jogja. It is a tough and brave choice regarding to The Sultanate of Yogyakarta’s very powerful political and spiritual royal family in Jogja. It’s been three years after Sultan Hamengkubuwono X’s statement and given his daughter the new name of “Gusti Kanjeng Ratu” so that indicates she was being lined up to take over the throne after him. As it was expected, many people didn’t agree with it, even the family. Islamic party resisted it so much, as it is denying the rules. Just a little intermezzo, actually I find the GBPH Prabukusumo’s word “sultante” kind of funny. I could assume that it’s merged between “sultan” and “tante” which means aunt in Bahasa. I’ve read it somewhere that there is a term “sultana”, though, maybe it’s more proper. But personally, I am a neutral kind of person in choosing a leader, especially from the gender aspect. We should have this “feminism” term be exposed more to Indonesian because we all know it’s very important.
ReplyDeleteAt first I’m not that interested on reading this article, but when I give it a look and try to read it, the article was actually kind of interesting. It says that what if the next heir of the sultanate in Yogyakarta is actually a female rather than a male. I honestly think that this idea is worth the fight, because men are not necessarily better than women and vice versa. What Yogyakarta need is a generous sultan/sultana, not just a sultan. As for the problem that by choosing a female as the next ruler of Yogyakarta Sultanate will affect its tradition, I’d say that there is always a first time for everything. Why not give it a go and see how it goes. We are now living in a modern era where it is not strictly the conventional way that we can use, means that we have to be open minded these days.
ReplyDeleteAs a woman, I came to believe that we, as a woman, have the same rights and chance as men do. Looking at this issue, I can see that the problem is that people doubt women to lead Yogyakarta as this city’s leader. It is not because this person has any bad background or bad personality, it is just because she is a woman. I know that tradition in Yogyakarta Kasultanan is men that become their Sultan. But, the world is evolving, so why don’t tradition also evolves to be more open to new things, that we hope will make better things happen? When people start to open their mind more, accept things that is better, and support positive things, I believe that tradition will not change, but just getting better. We can not deny that women prove the world that they can be a good leader too as men does. We can see how Queen Elizabeth rules the United Kingdom as good as how the kings used to rule UK, and other women leaders in the world. So, I don’t think that Yogyakarta should deny having a new Sultana as their leader.
ReplyDeleteThe move to make the princess to take the royal throne is a big cultural change in Yogyakarta’s royal family. Even though there are a lot of people who disagree with this situation, I think this is a good thing for the society. In Indonesia, we still haven’t reached gender equality and female leaders are still being underestimated. If Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Mangkubumi is coronated as the Sultana, people’s gaze towards female leaders can change for the better. Our country still lacks female leaders to be role models for younger generations. It is kind of hard to adjust since the royal court’s ritual has a lot of Hindu, Buddhist, and animist history. They still believe in Loro Kidul and Sapu Jagat even though many people think that they are myths. But in this modern era, I think a change like this is necessary and genders shouldn’t limit people to do what they want to do.
ReplyDeleteFrom my point of view, having a woman pioneer isn't an issue in this development time. Numerous nations have demonstrated that having a woman as their pioneer is anything but an awful thing and wouldn't be any different with having a man pioneer. The iron lady of Britain, Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth are one of a few amazing ground-breaking woman pioneer of the world. They showed the world that having a woman pioneer is just as great as having a man pioneer. They also showed that a woman can and able to lead a nation or even the world. But sadly, there are still many people who thinks that women are less than men. As a woman, this is a serious issue for my opinion. We live in a world that gender equality isn’t talked enough. And if it is being talked about, it is not talked enough. The fact is that this is already the 21st century and still to this day women are treated differently. Whether it is in politics or even at work, people still tend to think that a man is much better and much qualified than a woman. And most people also think that a woman is not qualified to be in a higher position than a man. This is the sad truth of the world we live in. Sure, there are less slavery than it used to be. Sure, there are more equality of gender than it used to be. But in my opinion, less is not enough. It is not enough to build a better world for all of us. From my point of view, gender should not matter as long as they have the ability to lead. So I absolutely agree if Yogyakarta have a woman pioneer as their Sultana. I believe it would be a massage to the world that a woman is also capable to rule and lead. It would inspire women in Indonesia to not be afraid to move forward and be more than the world told them to be.
ReplyDeleteGender equality has been mainly implemented and hardly fought all across the globe. Women and men who strongly push the acceptance of gender’s equality believe there should be no gap or certain limit for women to reach out and do what men are allowed to do. It has already acquired more acceptance than ever before . In such vast globalization era, we cant always rely on the old ways. Different age comes with different culture. And with today’s advanced technologies, there are no hinderance or obstacles for women to learn and gain the same knowledge that men get. There are queens in several kingdoms and monarchies. And there are countries and states whom are led by women. To me, gender does not really matter as long as the person’s quality is clearly capable and sufficient enough for mentioned position. We can no longer judge someone’s ability and quality by her or his gender. Yogyakarta royal family should have no problem being led by a queen as long as the Sultan believes that she is capable of ruling the throne.
ReplyDeleteOver hundreds of years, the Yogyakarta sultanate has already held great powers and influences over the islands of Java and throughout it’s reign, the Sultan has always been a man. However, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, happens to have no son and instead five daughters in line for the throne. This is in contrast to the Javanese tradition, where men holds the greatest power and privileges compared to their women counterparts.
ReplyDeleteThus, in traditional Javanese families, like my own, men are deemed as prideful and must be prioritized. The issue of a future-to-be women Javanese Sultan, as expected will be strongly opposed by the traditional Javanese people, primarily those of the royal bloodline as their belief on their traditions will unyield. According to the Javanese tradition, women should play their role as caretakers, staying at home, bearing and nurturing the children while men are set to be breadwinners, working to support the family. From this, we can imply that according to the tradition, women are just not fit to take over a man’s role, it would be seen as inappropriate as women needs to be prim and proper. A proactive and outspoken woman is seen as undesirable in the Javanese society. This actually dates back to the ancient days where only men are educated in schools and could travel to other countries to learn and brought back their knowledge to benefit their surroundings but in reality, all of the Yogyakarta Princesses are highly educated just like any other person in this era should be. Although I’m a Javanese myself and have strong roots of traditional Javanese culture, I don’t see the point why women are forbidden from being leaders. It’s a modern world we’re living in but the people’s way of thinking are unexplicably primitive and outdated. Nowadays, women and men have equal opportunities for achievements and this means that both are equally capable of doing anything.
A woman can be demure, lady-like and be in the most prim and proper character, yet still have the toughness and resiliency to handle anything on their way.
ReplyDeleteIndonesia is a country rich by its culture and traditions, but we can’t deny that progressing towards the modern world means disregarding some old ideas behind. Female leaders aren’t new in today’s atmosphere. Take for example our own past president, Megawati Soekarnoputri. More and more amazing woman are getting more recognized by their power to think, to act and of course to lead. The Sultanate of Yogyakarta’s dynasty has been ongoing for almost 300 years. Changing tradition may seem like a vile thing. But if we look at a broader perspective, maybe change isn’t so bad at all. I personally don’t mind at all being ruled by a female leader. On the contrary, it actually inspires me to go beyond my limits, and to pursue what I dream of doing later on my life. Women in some places, even in Indonesia. still go through discrimination and injustice around their environment, workplace or even on their own households. I think this would be another step to empower women everywhere to speak up, and go against the patriarchal beliefs. Long live, girl power!
To be honest, I am not one bit of surprise reading this article, it has been a common practice where I came from. Even though only certain people that do it. I suppose this sort of thing not only happen in university level, I suppose this sort of contract cheating have been present for a while in a level as low as elementary school, at least in their later years. In my high school buying assignment from another has been a common practice, and there are people such as myself who take advantage of this sad circumstances and turning it into a business. Back in my high school, there is only one class of social science major, which is mine, and somehow our class has become a major trading place for ‘jockeying’ assignments. We used to mass produce certain assignment, usually ridiculous one such as hand painting wall magazine or making prepackaged kit for your practicum, the sort of manual labour people thinks are not worth their time. Though in my final years I realized my sins, and reduce the order capacity. And by the way I have never bought any of my assignments.
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ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting case for me. In my opinion having a female leader is totally fine for me. I mean in this modern world, male and female have the same obligation and the same right, so what makes them different? There are also already a lot of female leaders in today’s world. I know that is a tradition in having a male sultana in Yogyakarta, and myself as a resident of Yogyakarta, I respect those traditions. But, I think by having a female sultana is totally fine. In my opinion, by having a female sultana it is not “breaking” the rules and traditions, but rather “adapting” to new rules and traditions. I do not really know the rules of the “kesultanan” in Yogyakarta, but I think they should really consider adapting to the new conditions in today’s world. I mean, if we can have a female president, why can’t we have a female sultana?
Before reading this article I know little about the current situation of the sultanate, but after reading this I'm interesting to know more about it. In my opinion, women has the right to be leaders, the belief that man has to be in power is no longer exist in most of the world. Big kingdoms such as British Kingdom, Dutch Kingdom has already prove that a queen can rule their kingdom with no concern at all, Queen Victoria for example she manage to bring the United Kingdom to its greatest extent in terms of land, military, and also technology. Angela Merkel, Margaret Thatcher, Benazir Bhutto, Helen Clark, Megawati, Ellen Sirleaf are a few of many women who has been in charge of the government. So I think if the Sultanate will have their first queen then I think that it is not a problem at all especially she has study abroad and learn the international issues and well-educated.
ReplyDeleteI agree on how a female can actually earn the throne. What's the issue anyway? Yes, there are traditions, but when it comes to leading a kingdom (or a city, in Jogja's case) as long as she is capable, she can fit to be a queen. She is unable to choose what gender she is, and I don't think that by being born a male, you can lead any better. I also think that if Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Mangkubumi is able to be the first female leader, she is able to inspire more women in Indonesia in order to break the glass ceiling, and can encourage more women to go to the top. Of course, I have seen several stereotypes that differentiate male and female leaders, how some considers that female leader tend to be more emotional and men are considered more rational, but I don't think that stereotypes are true and what distinguishes a good leader to those who aren't is their level of education and maturity.
ReplyDeleteAs a gender neutral person, I wouldn’t have any disagreement having a woman as a leader as long as she is competent. Whilst this topic fascinates me, I found that the hierarchial system of Javanese novelty prefer men as a leader instead of women. They saw men as a natural born leader and changing how it works will only make the god and goddess furious about that. Combine the ancient animist and the Islamic conservaticism, and whay will you get? A very strict and tough rules about the leaders and the cultural barriers.
ReplyDeleteLeading ability are not that kind of skill that you get since the very first time you were born, It develop as time goes and the environment and the education that is given to you nourishes that. A lot of women has shown that gender has no effects on their ability to lead and to control society. In Indonesia, we have Tri Rismaharini as the mayor of Surabaya, and she has put a lot of men into shame because of her attitude and willingness to serve the society and she really showed us what good leaders are supposed to do. The rapid change in the last few years really showed us that the people are more open towards gender equality and this would be a great move for Indonesia.
Since we know that the current Yogyakarta’s Sultan doesn’t have any son to be inherited to be the next Sultan of Yogyakarta because all of his children all women. Then the question “who will continue the father’s regime in, because it needed a bloodline relation to be the Sultan of Yogyakarta or any part in Indonesia where this kind of monarchy system still applied. Then is it possible that one of the daughter will rule Yogyakarta later, in the context nowadays society which gender equality is emerging we might think that it is possible even it is good for the development of equality movement in Indonesia.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it is not the relevant context in Indonesia because this country still hold on strongly to the patriarchal system where men still considered as an individual with more power rather than women. We can’t merely follow the trend of equality in nowadays societies, we have to consider other factors such as culture which existed way long before the movement of equality emerge.
Who will be in the throne after Hamengkubuwono X still contradictory until now. I agree if the one who will be the next sultan is woman, I don't really care about gender if she or he can bring Yogyakarta better. There is a prediction, all kingdom in Java will falling apart and there are will be just ten Sultan in Yogyakarta. In fact, Hamengkubuwono X don’t have son and that’s make there is no crown prince to be the eleventh Sultan. But Sultan Hamengkubuwono X has five daughters and one of them can rule the kingdom after him. Not all people agree with ‘sabda raja’ that change Buwono to Bawono-this change makes women can rule the kingdom-some of them still believe that just man who can sitting on the throne and rule the kingdom. Some people still believe a stereotype that women not born to be a leader, but I think we have to change that stereotype. We can see a lot of female leaders out there, they can lead as good as male leaders. For example, Indonesia fifth President-Megawati Soekarnoputri, Mayor of Surabaya-Tri Rismaharini, Minister of Finance-Sri Mulyani, etc.
ReplyDeleteThough they are royal family in Java, the five daughters of Sultan Hamengkubuwona and Queen Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Hemas are not spoiled. I admire Queen Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Hemas that she told her daughters to leave the palace when they are fifteen years old to get educated in the world. I saw the daughters’ Instagram account and they were all sent overseas to study in Europe, America and Australia. They are all smart and highly-educated. This makes me think that they are a good example of princess. I know ditching tradition can be a problem. But I think, in this context, the Sultan is doing a good thing, which he ditched tradition of having multiple wives-not like in the past when the Sultan had more than one wife-though the royal family don’t have son to take over the throne like in the tradition. And I think both the Sultan and the Queen are fine if the throne will be taken over by their oldest daughter. And I am fine with that too. I Believe both the Sultan and the Queen have prepared their children to be the next ruler of Yogyakarta.
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