Ruby Kholifah

Born and raised in Indonesia, Dwi Rubiyanti Kholifah joined the Asian Muslim Action Network (AMAN) as coordinator of the research fellowship program since 2005. She went on to earn an MA in Health and Social Science at Mahidol University in Thailand, for which she researched on the dynamics of sexual health in the pesantren(pondok) in Indonesia. She has been active in the women’s movement in Indonesia for years as a trainer, resource person and researcher on women’s human rights, religion and gender justice, and sexual and reproductive health. Currently, she is the country representative of AMAN Indonesia, which is concerned with women in relation to peace building and inter-faith cooperation. With AMAN Indonesia, she has been initiating women school for peaces in the community to mediate dialogue among inter faiths women in Poso, as well as to create a space of expression for women to share their feeling and perspective on multiculturalism, pluralism and tolerance in confronting fundamentalism in Indonesia. She believes that by increasing women self confidence, expanding their social networking, they can play important role in promoting peace.(Written by Ruby, find me on Google+)

Publication

This research describes single young women's sexuality in modern Muslim boarding school called Pesantren from their own perspective. It documents a process of social change in which traditional Islamic prescription on sexuality is being transformed by modern experience of single young women. Data was collected by means of a feminist ethnographic study in which full participation in daily life of single young women in Pesantren. The material collected was analyzed in two principles ways--- narrative and discourse analysis?to bring up multi subjectivities and realities on their sexuality. Findings highlighted the dynamics of interactions between dominant Islamic discourse and other discourses on modernity and feminism, which are taking a place both in personal experience and practice. Personal experience and practice is hybrid, fluid, and fragmented as is signified by changes and trends. That illustrates strongly in the way single young women negotiating and resiting religious morality, modernity and feminism to response issue of body, relationship, sexual orientation, fantasy, desire, code dress.

Keyword: Discourse,sexuality, subjectivity, modernity, islam, pesantren, feminism

Author: Dwi Rubiyanti Kholifah (Google+)

Publisher: LAMBERT Academic Publishing

About

This blog is dedicated to women belonging to national, linguistic, ethnic and religious minorities, living in Indonesia.  Since the beginning of state building, Indonesia has known as plural and multi cultural country where more then 300 ethnics groups living coexisting in the islands of Indonesia. These groups are legally recognized by state and should not be discriminated or subjected to violence because of their religious or ethnic identities.

As multicultural country, Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika become three important pillars of state. The five principles of state such as (1) Believe in the one Supreme God (2) Just and civilized humanity (3) The Unity of Indonesia (4) Democracy led by the wisdom of deliberations among representatives (5) Social Justice for the whole of the people of Indonesian, are deliberately mainstreamed to national platform of development. Both majority and minority are recognized equally as subject of development. While, at preamble of the 1945 Indonesia constitution, it is clearly stated that Indonesian people regardless religions, ethnics, class, genders, and ages are equal as stated at below quotation: 

"Subsequent thereto, to form a government of the state of Indonesia which shall protect all the people of Indonesia and all the independence and the land that has been struggled for, and to improve public welfare, to educate the life of the people and to participate toward the establishment of a world order based on freedom, perpetual peace and social justice, therefore the independence of Indonesia shall be formulated into a constitution of the Republic of Indonesia which shall be built into a sovereign state based on a belief in the One and Only God, just and civilized humanity, the unity of Indonesia, and democratic life led by wisdom of thoughts in deliberation amongst representatives of the people, and achieving social justice for all the people of Indonesia"

Moreover, the constitution seriously adopt human rights declaration into chapter XA regarding human rights, article 28, which declare the basic human rights, civil rights, women rights, and minority rights, including recognition of religious minority and expression of religiosity in Indonesia. While, the slogan of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika has completed our understanding to Indonesia as plural and multicultural country. Indonesia is not Islamic State and will as Pancasila State, where all ethnics and religions should be equally protected and united. The socio political and economic diverse background must be used as capitals of Indonesia to use in development. Through this blog, I am expecting that we are aware of our origin as Indonesian people who have different background but must be united. I would like to welcome all of you, who would like to share ideas, thoughts, experiences as majority and minority groups in Indonesia in perceiving united Indonesia (NKRI) and state integration and resilience.