#PerempuanBersatu: The amazing people, sights and signs at Jakarta Women’s March 2017
Activists holding up signs during Jakarta Women’s March on March 4, 2017. Many of the same people behind the Jakarta Women’s March have organized this weekend’s Feminist Fest. Photo: Coconuts Media / Andra Nasrie
#PerempuanBersatu: The amazing people, sights and signs at Jakarta Women’s March 2017
The blistering morning sun did not deter hundreds from seeking out justice and equality for all during the first Women’s March in Jakarta on Saturday, March 4, 2017.
Never has a political or social justice march been this colorful, literally and figuratively, in the Indonesian capital. Mostly clad in pink and purple, all the high-spirited female and male protesters (and everything in between) united under the hashtag #PerempuanBersatu (#WomenUnite) to make sure their voices soar above the ignorance and hatred that allow patriarchal injustices to continue to happen in Indonesia in the first place.
Jakarta Women’s March protesters marching towards the State Palace in Jakarta. Photo: Coconuts Media / Andra NasrieJakarta Women’s March protesters marching towards the State Palace in Jakarta. Photo: Coconuts Media / Andra NasrieMarch leaders standing atop an open-top van while leading the protest chants. Photo: Coconuts Media / Andra NasrieJakarta Women’s March protesters marching towards the State Palace in Jakarta. Photo: Coconuts Media / Andra NasrieDarth Vader has officially come over to the light side as he too joins the Jakarta Women’s March. Photo: Coconuts Media / Andra NasrieProtesters smeared in fake blood to protest violence against women and marginalized individuals in Indonesian society. Photo: Coconuts Media / Andra NasrieOne of many brilliant signs at the Jakarta Women’s March. Photo: Coconuts Media / Andra NasrieGrumpy cat tells the truth at the Jakarta Women’s March. Photo: Coconuts Media / Andra NasrieThe late Carrie Fisher immortalized as a symbol for resistance. Photo: Coconuts Media / Andra NasrieThe National Monument (Monas) serving as a backdrop for the Jakarta Women’s March. Photo: Coconuts Media / Andra NasrieA woman holds a sign that reads, “I’m tired of being asked, ‘when are you getting married?'” Photo: Coconuts Media / Andra NasrieA woman holding a sign that reads “Front Perempuan Indonesia” or “Indonesian Women’s Front”. Her sign satirizes the ultra-conservative Islamic group Front Pembela Islam, which also shares the same initials. Photo: Coconuts Indonesia / Andra NasrieOne of the biggest reasons marches like these are happening around the world. Photo: Coconuts Media / Andra NasrieKhaleesi is for the Jakarta Women’s March. Photo: Coconuts Media / Andra NasrieA sign criticizing Indonesian stereotypes about women’s appearance. Photo: Coconuts Media / Andra NasrieA woman holding a picture of Kartini, the symbol of Indonesia’s female emancipation. Photo: Coconuts Media / Andra NasrieProtesters carrying a pro-LGBT sign. Photo: Coconuts Media / Andra NasrieA protester holds up a sign that reads, “Ibu Susi for president”, referring to Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, one of Indonesia’s most beloved politicians. Photo: Coconuts Media / Andra Nasrie
Women in Indonesia are still very vulnerable to gender-based violence, with Komnas Perempuan (the Indonesian Commission on Violence Against Women) documenting 321,752 cases of it in 2016 alone including rape, sexual abuse and harassment. Female genital cutting and virginity testing are still allowed by the government, a government which is also resisting efforts to implement better education for women and better protection for minorities, including LGBT individuals, due to fears of disturbing the country’s conservative cultural norms.
To keep up to date with similar events in the future, follow Aliansi Damai Tanpa Diskriminasi (The Alliance for Peace Without Discrimination) on Facebook.
