As well as highlighting the research work occurring by staff members we also wanted to introduce some recent presentations by students. The first presentation was by Gilang Desti Parahita.

My research is motivated by my interest in observing the feminist movement on Instagram in Indonesia. In the country, feminism is not a popular ideology in the mainstream media or primary and secondary education institutions. However, feminism is discussed in universities, and Indonesia has the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection. As a country with the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia has also become increasingly conservative in the last few decades. But in recent years, feminist activism via websites and social media accounts has strengthened in the country. I became interested in examining how the followers of feminist accounts, namely young Indonesian women who claim to be feminists, make sense of themselves amidst the vortex of feminism,  Islamism, and neoliberalism. Although Indonesian women seem to have more personal choices, the cultural and structural problems that challenge gender equality are still there. 

I was pleased to be allowed to present my research project to the staff and students last week. In the opportunity, I received more diverse feedback and exciting questions about the Balinese kebaya (the white blouse) and Javanese Lurik (the skirt) I wore. I wore traditional Indonesian clothing to show that Indonesia is diverse, and women’s bodies, regarding what clothes to wear, also become an arena for discourse and norms contestation. I also want to introduce one of the largest archipelagic countries in Southeast Asia to the King’s College London campus audience.