Threat Of Democracy Regression When Women's Representation Quota Drops In The 2024 Election

Photo by Dino Januarsa on Unsplash

JAKARTA - The spotlight of the DPR regarding the lack of representation of women in the 2024 Legislative Election must be a concern of the KPU. Moreover, Bawaslu has decided that the KPU violates the administration regarding the target of representing female candidates which should be 30%.

Bawaslu made a decision on the Election Administrative Violation Case (PAP) No.010 / LP / ADM.PL / BWSL / 00.00 / XI / 2023 which concluded that the KPU legally and convincingly committed administrative violations of the General Election (Pemilu). The decision is based on the reporting from the Coalition of Women's Representation Concerned Communities.

The budget occurred because in determining the 267 List of Permanent Candidates (DCT) for DPR Members in the 2024 General Election, the KPU proved not to enforce the provisions for women's representation of at least 30 percent in submitting the list of candidates as stipulated in Article 245 of Law No. 7 of 2017 concerning Elections.

On this issue, a number of DPR members gave the spotlight and asked the KPU to make Bawaslu's decision a momentum to ensure that women's representation in the political arena is not ignored.

Teacher of the Election of the Faculty of Law, University of Indonesia (FHUI), Titi Anggraini agrees with the DPR which states that the lack of women's participation in elections can have an impact on democracy in Indonesia.

"Democracy will experience regression if women's representation is weakened," said the Indonesian Pioneer and Democratic Researcher, Friday, December 8.

Previously, the Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, had also asked the KPU to revise the rules in KPU Regulation (PKPU) Number 10 of 2023 which regulates lower rounding if the calculation of 30 percent of women's representation results in a decimal figure less than a coma of five. The regulation is considered to threaten women's representation in parliament.

The DPR also assessed that in the 2019 election, many female leaders were born and it was proven that their leadership had a lot of positive impacts on the welfare of the people.

Titi reminded the KPU to comply with Bawaslu's decision. Moreover, there has been a lot of support from the DPR regarding this matter, considering that so far the KPU has often reasoned that delays in the implementation of the Supreme Court's decision regarding women's representation are often hampered by approval from the DPR.

"Moreover, the KPU as the executor of the law must hold the stages of the election in accordance with what is ordered by the law and absolutely take a role in strengthening Indonesia's democratic practices," explained Titi.

"When there is support from the legislators of parliament to fulfill women's representation as stated in the Supreme Court Decision and also the Bawaslu Decision, then there is no longer any reason for the KPU not to implement it," he continued.

In addition, Titi assessed that the revision of PKPU Number 10 of 2023 would also eliminate discrimination and realize justice and equal treatment for women.

Moreover, the representation of women in the election is widely regulated in various legislative products. Including as a mandate from the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against women or Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) UN.

"The affirmation of women's representation of at least 30% is the mandate of the Constitution, CEDAW, and also the Election Law. All elements of the state, both the KPU and political parties, should fully comply with every effort to realize women's representation in the political realm through an election process," said Titi.