Women's Capacity and Agency in Dealing with the Pandemic

AFP/RAUL ARBOLEDA

A woman uses a face mask as a precautionary measure in the face of the global COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, as she rides a bike in Bogota on March 12, 2020. – Colombia declared on March 12, 2020 a “Health Emergency” due to the new coronavirus pandemic, a figure that allows it to take exceptional measures such as prohibiting the disembarkation of cruise ships and the holding of public events with more than 500 attendees.

The pandemic is beginning to lift. Indeed, we are not completely free from the pandemic just yet. The lessons learned from two years of struggling with the pandemic are that we must always remain vigilant, and adaptation is the key to survival.

People are continuing to try and survive in the face of the ongoing economic downturn. The grim condition, marked by the increasing prices of food and energy commodities, should be an occasion for extending assistance to the community, especially from the government, to ensure the realization of welfare and social justice.

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During the pandemic, women held the economic fort for households. The threat of layoffs and dwindling job opportunities encouraged women to be creative in providing a livelihood for their families. They ran food, trade and sewing businesses to fulfill their families’ daily needs. Through home industries and the use of digital platforms, some of the women’s businesses have succeeded.

Data from the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry show that the country currently has around 64 million micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which constitute 99 percent of all businesses in the country. Approximately 64 percent, or 40.96 million units, of MSMEs are run by women, mostly in the food, handicraft, and fashion sectors.

Women’s burden from multiple responsibilities has only grown during the pandemic (INFID, 2021).

The data indicates the pivotal role women have in the national economy. During the state of emergency due to the pandemic, women were among the most vulnerable and affected groups in society, while at the same time, they were also their families’ breadwinners. Women’s burden from multiple responsibilities has only grown during the pandemic (INFID, 2021).

The local culture still adheres to rigid traditional views as regards the share of household responsibilities. It views household work as woman's domain, including managing the home and raising children.

Meanwhile, a report released by the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) showed that cases of violence against women spiked 80 percent in 2021 to 338,496 recorded cases. This gruesome trend points to the reality that women risk exposure to abuse in both public and private spaces.

BONIFASIUS JOSIE SUSILO HARDIANTO

A Palestinian volunteer measures the temperature of a woman entering the village of Ain Yabrud near Ramallah, as civilians deployed along rural roads in the occupied West Bank to enforce coronavirus controls amid the COVID-19 pandemic, on April 6 , 2020.

It is not enough to look at the role of women from their contributions to the economy. We need to take a deeper look by using the capability approach (Martha Nussbaum, Amartya Sen, 1993) in order to critically understand women's participation in society and the economy during the pandemic. The capability approach is a moral framework that emphasizes a person's capability to realize their wellbeing that underlines their freedom to achieve prosperity (Ingrid Robeyns, 2012). The capability approach also emphasizes a person's level of happiness in the process of doing something, as well as the ability to prosper.

Using capability analysis, we can assess whether a person can actualize their various social functions in equal conditions. Poverty, restricted access to education, unequal health access, cultural barriers, and discriminatory traditional practices are the main obstacles to opportunities for women.

For Nussbaum, capability is also related to women's value as an agent who can able to make choices for herself. That is why the capability approach not only focuses on a woman’s income, but also considers whether work is part of her free choice to bring about her wellbeing. Regarding the state’s role in the capability framework, according to Nussbaum, the state needs to translate an individual’s capabilities into guarantees and protection of basic rights.

She started her business with Rp 50,000 in capital and gradually grew it to produce between 1 and 2 quintals of cassava chips per day.

When I met Muslimah (55) at an MSME product exhibition in Jakarta, I was touched by her story about the ups and downs she experienced in developing her cassava chips business. She started her business with Rp 50,000 in capital and gradually grew it to produce between 1 and 2 quintals of cassava chips per day.

She established her Canthir business in 2020, but when the pandemic hit, she was forced to halt operations before the business had gained robustness. This year, she has even received an invitation to export her products to Turkey. Despite her confidence about the prospect, she is worried about the uncertain economic conditions, especially if the price of cooking oil stays high.

AP PHOTO/VINCENT YU

A woman wearing a face mask walks past a bank electronic board showing the Hong Kong share index at Hong Kong Stock Exchange Tuesday, June 16, 2020. Asian shares rose Tuesday, cheered by fresh moves by the U.S. Federal Reserve to support markets battered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Amid the time she spends running her business, Muslimah is often invited to appear as a speaker at various forums to share her success story as an MSME entrepreneur. She is happy to help others. Muslimah is currently providing a group of female entrepreneurs with ultra-micro to micro businesses to obtain working capital. She has also created an entrepreneurs’ community with hundreds of members with the aim to support each other, particularly in difficult times.

She is now listening to other women talk about their own situations, during which inequality and the threat of violence could hamper them from moving forward.

Muslimah recalled attending a training workshop at the Indonesian Women's Association for Justice (APIK) legal aid institution. The workshop helped her start her business. She spoke about various obstacles she has faced as a woman. She is now listening to other women talk about their own situations, during which inequality and the threat of violence could hamper them from moving forward.

Muslimah is one of millions of women who are struggling to support their families during the pandemic. Viewed within the capability framework, socioeconomic recovery cannot be done half-heartedly. This means that legal, political, and cultural aspects must go hand in hand in striving for gender equality and justice. The sexual violence bill that will be passed soon gives hope for creating a safe space where Indonesian women can live and work in complete freedom.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Saras Dewi

Saras Dewi, Philosophy lecturer, University of Indonesia

(This article was translated by Musthofid)