Women’s Representation in Banyumas Local Politics in the Perspective of David Easton’s Theory of Systems

Abstract

The issue of women in politics becomes important as Indonesia begins to reform political institutions or political processes due of democracy. The purpose of this study is to find out women’s representation in Banyumas Regency, Central Java, in relation to cultural and Islamic values. Islam and Penginyongan cultural values promote traditional gender roles, which may limit women’s participation in politics. However, these values also promote social harmony, community participation, and religious morality, which may encourage women’s participation. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s political system includes a quota system for women’s political representation to increase the number of women in parliament. Data in this research comes from the number of women represented in political positions and their role in representing women’s interests, the meaning of Islamic values and Banyumas’ Penginyongan cultural values. Methods of data collection use interviews, observation, and documents. Using sociological approach, this study concludes that according to David Easton’s theory of systems, the influence of Islam and Penginyongan cultural values on women’s political representation in Banyumas is complex and shaped by a range of factors that interact with each other. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing strategies to promote gender equality and women’s political empowerment in the region.

Keywords

• women’s representation
• politics
• banyumas
• penginyongan culture
• systems theory