Working as One: Feminist Activism and the Passage of Indonesia's Anti-Sexual Violence Law.

In April 2022 Indonesia's feminists, scholars and activists reached a new milestone in their quest to advance gender equality when the Indonesian parliament passed the Anti-Sexual Violence Law (Undang-Undang Tindak Pidana Kekerasan Seksual, UU-TPKS), a new legal umbrella that regulates a wider range of sexual violence crimes and offers a framework for victims to pursue justice. Its passage followed significant backlash popularised by the Family Love Alliance (Aliansi Cinta Keluarga) and Prosperous Justice Party (Partai Keadilan Sejahtera), whose conservative messaging sought to undermine the bill and whose influence on Indonesian politics presents a wider threat to gender equality in Indonesia. This article explores the conditions that made the feminists' and activists' campaign for UU-TPKS successful, drawing from social movement theory, select campaign materials and interviews with several Indonesian feminists, activists and scholars. I argue that feminist activists garnered support for the bill by forging collaborations with different feminist groups and leveraging the political establishment. While political opportunism was critical, these tactics enabled feminist groups to present a vision for safeguarding women's bodies that could withstand its association as just another piece of 'feminist' legislation. The passage of this law offers a relevant example that adds to our understanding of the political, religious and gender issues shaping discussions on women's rights in Indonesia in the post-Suharto period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]