Observations from a Visit to Indonesia
Haya Hareem
LAST YEAR I had the opportunity to travel to various cities across Indonesia, where I visited multiple educational institutions and held meetings with women. In all these sessions, discussions centered on women’s educational interests, the resources available to them, and the environment in which they study.
One of the most striking observations was that Indonesia’s educational institutions reflect no gender-based discrimination in access to learning. Women enjoy equal opportunities and rights in all fields of study. What is even more remarkable is that much of this progress has been the result of women’s own efforts and struggles. A few decades ago, women in Indonesia faced serious gender disparities, as many local women themselves reported. Out of this reality, several movements emerged that raised their voices against child marriage, domestic violence, and gender discrimination. These movements continue to this day, but their impact has been profound: Indonesian women have become more aware of their rights and, to a significant extent, ordinary women now demonstrate an awareness of their social position.
From a religious perspective, both Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama hold strong influence in Indonesia. Among these, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) has played a significant role in integrating modern reasoning (ijtihad) and social customs (‘urf) into religious practice. Particularly in East Java, NU’s influence is very deep-rooted. Established in 1926, NU is a Sunni Muslim organization with more than 30 million members. Local scholars, madrasas, and religious movements largely follow its methodology and fatwas, and the organization also enjoys official state recognition. NU emphasizes that its approach aligns with contemporary needs, aiming to bring people closer to Islam in ways that resonate with modern society.
NU has kept the doors of ijtihad open and sought to adapt religious rulings to evolving social contexts. Within this framework, women are considered an integral part of society, which is why their participation in education, scholarship, commerce, and politics is visible. Across various Indonesian cities, historic sites commemorate educated women who once assumed leadership roles. These figures remain revered as role models for women even today.
In madrasas across different cities, women are seen excelling not only in religious sciences but also in worldly disciplines. The teaching of religion often begins before dawn, focusing on Qur’an and Hadith, after which students are encouraged to pursue modern sciences. Below are some of my observations regarding women’s education in particular cities:
Jepara
Located in the province of Semarang, Jepara is a lush green city that houses the renowned Madrasa Hashim al-Ash‘ariyyah, a major institution dedicated to women’s education. Alongside Islamic studies, subjects such as physics, biology, and other sciences are compulsory. The madrasa has both a library and a science laboratory. It is also a hub for NU’s ideology and hosts monthly women’s gatherings from across the country. Students here are trained in practical skills such as woodworking, where I personally observed young women crafting wooden frames and decorative designs with their own hands. The number of women attending scholarly gatherings often reaches into the thousands, and they enjoy full freedom to select discussion circles of their interest and to ask questions freely.
Yogyakarta
Located six hours from Jepara, Yogyakarta is often called the city of education. Numerous renowned Indonesian scholars and social leaders trace their formative training back to madrasas in this city. In Malang, a suburb, I personally counted sixteen madrasas on a single street, where boys and girls studied together in mixed settings. Educators here emphasize moral training above all else. While they may not be highly connected to global affairs, their communities are deeply shaped by strong ethical and moral standards.
In 2016, NU launched the campaign “Send Your Children to Madrasa,” which resulted in a remarkable surge of enrollment, making it rare to find a child in Java who does not attend a madrasa. Apart from formal madrasas, mosques in markets and neighborhoods regularly host study circles for women, covering a wide range of subjects—whether inheritance law, astronomy, or jurisprudence. The same subjects taught to men are equally included in women’s curricula.
Yogyakarta also witnesses strong women’s rights movements. NU, in response, has developed curricula that incorporate women’s issues to the same extent as men’s. Religious women—Muslim or non-Muslim—are granted full freedom to pursue their education, and houses of worship such as mosques, churches, and temples often exist side by side, with women forming the majority of participants.
Semarang
Semarang is known as a center for women’s professional development. Women from other towns migrate here to pursue higher education or vocational training. Institutions in the city provide skills training in business and trade, while provincial leaders—including the prime minister—often attend women’s gatherings, offering encouragement and facilitating further opportunities for women’s advancement.
Banda Aceh
Situated in Sumatra Island, Banda Aceh is recognized as the stronghold of Islamic law. In women’s institutions here, fiqh (jurisprudence) and tafsir (Qur’anic exegesis) are given special priority in curricula. Women not only study these disciplines but also engage in active reasoning (ijtihad), adapting rulings to social norms. Mastery of fiqh and religious law is considered essential for all.
Women and Iftā’ (Issuing Fatwas)
In Jakarta, a movement has been active for over a decade advocating for women’s authority to issue fatwas. This initiative has received official government recognition, and for the past five years it has been state-funded. Women affiliated with this movement are addressing pressing contemporary issues and issuing ijtihadi fatwas. So far, they have formally issued rulings on three major issues: sexual violence, child marriage, and environmental concerns. These fatwas are widely acknowledged, and accompanying curricula have been developed to raise awareness of such issues.
Primary Education for Girls
Over the past decade, there has been a sharp rise in school enrollment for girls. According to official statistics, the rate of boys’ primary education is 92.8%, while that of girls is close behind at 92.7%. At the elementary level, students are allowed flexibility in choosing some subjects based on interest, rather than following a strictly uniform curriculum. The Ministry of Education also convenes monthly meetings with parents to stress that a student’s academic success depends heavily on parental involvement.
Conclusion
At both national and provincial levels, numerous organizations and movements for women’s rights—particularly with the active involvement of Nahdlatul Ulama—have significantly advanced women’s educational awareness and opportunities in Indonesia over the past decade. Representation of women in both governmental and non-governmental sectors is now nearly equal.
However, a major gap persists: Indonesian students and academics remain largely disconnected from the global intellectual community. This lack of exposure to other cultures, religions, and intellectual traditions means that even highly qualified professors often lack fluency in international languages like Arabic and English. On the other hand, the global Muslim scholarly community has begun to take interest in Indonesia’s deep ijtihadi approaches, its incorporation of local customs, and its contextual understanding of Shariah.
To bridge this gap, Indonesia needs to cultivate a generation of men and women who are both rooted in their local scholarly traditions and fluent in international languages, enabling them to represent their context effectively to the wider world. With this, Indonesia may soon play a far more influential role in global scholarly and civil society networks.
