Students Discussion about Gender:

Theory and Practices in Their Hometown

Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta held a training on Masculinity and Feminity on November 27 – 29, 2015. An additional activity was held to reach more and more students learning and discussing about gender and its problem. Held on December 9, 2015 at Sawah Resto, Yogyakarta, this discussion opened a new horizon about gender. Besides knowing more about Stube-HEMAT in gender issues with feminity and masculinity understandings, they met new friends from other campus (UKDW, STIKES Bethesda, and STAK Marturia) with each perspective about gender. Even though most of them were theology students but gender issue were not faded by the time – always new when it is discussed and when we are involved in. They shared both theory and their own experiences in their hometown.

Pascah Hariyanto, an activist of Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta who came from East Ogan Komering Ulu (East OKU), South Sumatra and now was studying christian education at STAK Marturia said, “There should be a balance in distributing domestic jobs in a family and the distribution should be proportional”.

Bagus, a student from Jember, East Java argued, “Actually, the distinction between men and women are started from their social community as it constructs public social understandings, such as parents commonly advise their daughter to be able to cook, in order to be a good wife”. Before starting to study theology, Bagus lived with his mentor in Surabaya. He watched a domestic jobs distribution in the family, such as clothes washing done by the husband and cooking done by wife.

Reza, coming from Kediri added that a progressive changing has happened really that it is a man having a good skill to cook, even a woman is able to repair house roof damage. Formerly, girls and guys have their own job, but now it is interchangeable in a flexible way.

Anggi admitted that he did not learn a lot about feminity, however, he agreed on equality. Theologically, two creatures were created by God. A man was formed by God and woman was made from the man’s ribs. Eventhough the process was different, the rights and authority of both were guaranteed by the universe.

Eko, shew that people were already doing equality. They helped each other and worked together. In his village in Tanjung Bintang, Tanjungkarang, Sumatera, some girls worked abroad as migrant workers. Commonly, when they went home and brought much money, then they thought that men have no authority. In this case, Eko agreed on work equality, but refused money domination to marginalize the other side. Work distribution sholud be a mutual agreement and never let gender equality distorted.

Erly, a student of STIKES Bethesda coming from Southwest Sumba admitted that she only knew domestic jobs practises in her house. All her brother’s works are done outside the house. She admitted that men are still dominant in inheritance sharing.

Weweh, a familiar name of Alva Kurniawan is a student from Pugung Raharjo, Lampung. He told that the appreciation of rights and obligations between men and women have already started when there was a collective social activity, like a celebration. Men and women already knew what to do. In general, men took jobs that require strength, while women always took part in kitchen.

Pinto, who came from Tegal, Central Java described the routines and lives of most women and working mothers. There were spaces barriers for them, although they worked professionaly, they still  have burden to do the domestic jobs.

Equality came in a various types and understanding. It may not rigid, but it can be faded and changed. To keep the equality is well-maintained, a discussion, collaborative work and reflection must always be done. We hope that equality between men and women is still in progress and should always be promoted in our life. (YDA)