Wake Up Politicians, Women Want More Than Just Affordable Groceries This Election Season

Appealing to middle-aged moms is the newest trend in Indonesian politics. It all started when Prabowo Subianto announced that he will be running for president with Jakarta's deputy governor Sandiaga Uno a few weeks ago. Sandi, a surprising VP choice for many, stole the spotlight that evening when he said, "We will fight for the mothers of our nation. We all want affordable food staples." The invisible crowd cheered.

Since the speech, a lot of housewives and female clerics have shown support for the Prabowo-Sandi ticket. President Joko Widodo and his running mate Ma'aruf Amin have their own group of dedicated women fighting for his cause too, such as the Relawan Emak Militan Jokowi Indonesia.

Women make up half of Indonesia's population, so, of course, there's nothing wrong with politicians showing their support for women or for us to see so many women being active politically. And this could be the first time that Indonesians politicians are explicitly addressing women's issues since the New Order. But this sudden focus on middle-aged women—"emak-emak" in Indonesian—and Sandi's remarks seem suspicious.

After a survey by Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) found that more women support Jokowi and Ma'aruf, Andre Rosiade, the deputy secretary general of the Gerindra Party, said that his party’s candidates are the ones who deserve their support.

Watch: The Status of Women Around the World

“Sandiaga isn’t only young, handsome, and cool," Andre told local media. "He's not just a pretty face. He has programs that serve the people according to what they need."

Does this mean that we're going to see more male politicians reducing women's participation in elections by giving us "handsome" candidates? Are they going to oversimplify our issues into merely making sure that our kitchens are well-stocked with affordable goods? Are cooking and shopping are the only things women do?

I sincerely hope that these politicians who claim to care about women are also going to care about rape victims, about fix our sexist healthcare policies, and about let people like Meliana —who is also a middle-aged mom, by the way — exercise their freedom of speech without being persecuted. I asked other women what they think about being the "hot topic" of this election season, and here are what they have to say:

VICE: What are your thoughts on Indonesian presidential candidates targeting the "women's voice"?
Myranti: I see this as an opportunity for women to improve their quality of life. I really hope both candidates will make a change that supports women, but none of them has shown their political will yet. Instead, one of them has tried to show off his masculinity, assuming that his "perfect" looks and religiousness will get him the votes. It's gross. We’re not that shallow, you know.

Housewives have become the main target demographic for both the candidates' campaigns. Do you think any of them can represent you? As a housewife, what’s the most important issue for you in this election?
They don’t represent me at all. One candidate hasn’t made a plan that involves women at all, while the other one is only counting on his looks. As a woman, I feel like it's degrading. One candidate said he will lower the price of staple foods, as if women only think about their domestic lives. It will only make the “women belong in the kitchen” stereotypes even worse, though there's nothing wrong about women who choose to be a housewife, as long as it’s what they want to do.

So what should a pro-women campaign actually look like?
It should be a campaign that promotes women’s movements. This includes policies and programs that protect our rights and fulfill our needs so women's quality of life is improved.

VICE: What do you think about this new focus on women?
Retno Prasentyani: Well, it’s an election. Politicians will try to find ways to get votes. And they do that by targeting women since our voices are heard more and more now.

In your opinion, how are women viewed by male politicians during this election season?
They're using us for their gain. They say it’ll be our loss if we don’t vote for them. They say food prices will be unstable, et-cetera.

What are your expectation from these candidates?
I hope they will stop gender-based discrimination and impose regulations and policies that protect women, children, indigenous people, and minority groups. I hope they will stop regulating and controlling our body and our sexuality. We also need equal rights in the workplace.

VICE: Do you think women's votes are really important to these candidates?
Annisa Kusumawardhani: If by "women" you mean housewives, then yes because they can easily persuade other housewives to support and vote for the candidates they like.

Do you think both candidates represent women’s voice?
Of course not 100 percent of women's demands are going to come across. We're lucky if we could get 40 percent of them. Women's issues are not only cheap food, but also equality and a sense of safety. These are the essential needs for us.

How do you think women are viewed in this election?
We're just robots that give them votes.

VICE: How do you feel about the candidates and their speeches on women?
Lelly Andriasanti: I'm not confident that either candidate prioritizes women’s needs. For me, issues that women face are not just food prices. More important than that, we need social justice for everybody in society. This begins with education. Even today, I still see elementary school textbooks that teach students that women are second-class citizens. These are the kinds of dangerous things that girls internalize. This will eventually stop women from becoming critical and growing.

So what they've said is just empty talk?
I think both candidates take advantage of our votes, especially housewives, to help them win the election. Their campaigns don’t involve women’s issues at all. I’m afraid that this would make women compete against one other. Then our effort to bring women together will be for nothing.

These interviews have been translated into english, and edited for length and clarity.