Women, Military, and State: Indonesian Women’s Military Representation During the Early Independence Period

This article looks at the role of women in the Indonesian military in the second half of the twentieth century, specifically from Indonesia’s independence on 17 August 1945 until the 1960s. Following state efforts to create uniformity among citizens by including women in all sectors of national life, including the military – long perceived to be a masculine institution – Indonesian women only became active in the military after men. Women’s early military participation was critical in advancing their role in the public sphere and in eroding men’s military dominance. The purpose of this analysis is to investigate the role of the state in providing space for women in the armed forces. It uncovers how early policies in Indonesia excluded women from military forces and activities; the first women’s corps was established only fifteen years after Indonesia declared independence. Even then, they were confined to the female-only corps to allow the Indonesian military to maintain its masculine image.