Swedian’s out with a back injury (update: not broken as Stephanie said, but still pretty bad) so while we wish him a quick and full recovery, we’re replaying our episode with Olin Monteiro, in light of the recent Women’s March in April. Hope you enjoy!
In this episode, Swedian talks to Olin Monteiro, an Indonesian feminist activist who’s been working in the space for 30-odd years. We talk about how she got started in feminism, from her college years when she was exposed to the fight against sexual violence and the older generation of feminists, to her current relationship with the younger generation of feminists in groups such as the Jakarta Feminist Discussion Group. We discuss extensively how this issue of sexual violence has developed over the last few decades and the growing number of organizations that have emerged alongside the growing movement. We also talk about this “missing history” of women’s history in Indonesia, in particular how important women were to the progressive and liberal fights against authoritarian powers, from the Dutch colonizers to the New Order, as well as the amazing stories of women throughout Indonesian history who have always been fighting the patriarchy.
Finally, Olin shares her hopes for the new generation of Indonesian feminists to continue educating themselves about the rich history and culture of women’s rights and activism in this beloved country of ours. #thefutureisfemale
NOTE: THIS EPISODE IS IN INDONESIAN.
Thanks for listening!
