gender and trust in indonesia - hs-heilbronn.de · by one of the married men of the village....

Gender and Trustin Indonesia

Gender and Trust in Indonesia

in Indonesia

Jutta Berninghausen

Jutta Berninghausen

• 1986 -1988 research on Indonesian self help organisations for women

• 1989 -1996 Consultant in ILO and UNDP training projects

• 1997 - 2002 Consultant for various development

• Berninghausen / Soeprapto / Kerstan: Schleier Sarong Minirock, Frauen im kulturellen Wandel Indonesiens, 2008


various development cooperation projects

• Since 2002 Prof for Intercultural Management at Hochschule Bremen

• 2005-2007 Visit of former research area

• Interviews on “What has changed"

Two different concepts of Trust

In Germany :

• An emotional term

• Strong belief in the goodness strength, reliability of somebody or sth without proof,

In Indonesia :

• A rational consequence

• Trust = Believe (no direct translation possible)

• Trust is stupidity


• Trust is an emotional gift to somebody

• Trust is something you give to somebody on credit

• Trust in somebody only because of good reasons

• Trust has to be earned = Trustworthy

Some Facts about Indonesia

Religions:

• 6 th to 15th century Hindu - Buddhist kingdoms

• 15th century Islam

• Since 17th century Dutch

• strong Islamisation over the last 20 years


colonialisation

• Today 88% Islam, (biggest Muslim population worldwide)

• 9% Christians

• 3% Hindu

Some more Facts about Indonesia

• Independent since 1949

• 1947 -1965 Soekarno

• 1965 -1996 Soeharto

„guided Democracy“

Javanisation of Indonesia

• 230 million inhabitants

(18 Million in Jakarta)

• 17.000 Islands

• 300 Ethnies and languages

(47% Javanese)


• Since 1996 Democratisation

and Decentralisation process

• Actual President since 2004:

Yudhoyono (SBY)

The concept of trust can not be understood without Franz von Magnis Suseno

• Born 1936

• Jesuit Missionary

• Philosopher and Theologian

• Since 1977 Indonesian Citizen

• Former President of the

Publications i.a.:

• Javanische Weisheit und Ethik München·Wien 1981

• Neue Schwingen für Garuda -Indonesien zwischen Tradition

und Moderne. München 1989


University of Philosophy in Jakarta

• As an Intelectual, well known in Indonesia for promoting the interreligious dialogue

• Very present in official Media as a consultant to recent social developments

und Moderne. München 1989

Javanese Wisdom and Ethics

• A person is not assessed according to his moral intent but according to his actual behaviour.

• Not „good and bad“ But „right and wrong“.

• „good“ and „evil“ are equally

• Egoistical, lower drives and selfish intentions are not condemned but rather assumed as a natural condition. It is not about fighting them, but controlling


• „good“ and „evil“ are equally necessary forces to ensure the balance of social harmony.

• It is normal to have animalistic emotions and passions and egoistical interests.

• Therefore they have to be controlled by society.

fighting them, but controlling them.

It is not about fighting the desires,

- but controlling them

• „If the man leaves through the front door, his wife leaves through the back door“ (Javanese saying)

• „It`s normal for men to be unfaithful anyway. I don`t mind

• Partinah had become pregnant by one of the married men of the village. Marriage was out of question. Eventually P´s parents found an impoverished man who married her for


unfaithful anyway. I don`t mind either if my husband has affairs with other women, as long as he drops them right afterwards, just like you throw away the banana leaf after you`ve finished eating your rice from it.“ (Field notes)

man who married her for 30.000 Rps. (Field notes)

Javanese Wisdom and Ethics

Everybody has two parts:

Lahir (Body)= kasar (rough, unclean)

Batin (Soul)= halus (noble, fine)

Means are:

• Avoidance of conflict

• Empathy (rasa)

• Respect

• Humility (shame)


• The aim is to achieve spiritual control over oneself and of the environment

• To achieve social harmony

• To find once place on earth

Trust = trustworthy

• People do not trust each other due to a diffuse feeling of friendship, but after careful assessment of the circumstances.

• „My first husband was really

• Reasons to trust one another could be interdependency and respective responsibilities,

• The deceived is not awarded emotional sympathies, but if anything the deceiver.


• „My first husband was really too stupid for words. Whenever I wanted to go anywhere, he always demanded that Pak Masri go with me. As time went by I gave my heart to Pak Masri and fell in love with him. It was my husbands fault: he trusted Pak Masri because he was so quiet“ (field notes)

anything the deceiver.

With whom to best make business in Indonesia?

Question:

Is there a difference in trustworthyness of men and women in Indonesia in respect to business relations?


Assumption:

In business, women are more reliable than men.

Men = halus(noble) / Women = kasar (rough)

Men = batin (Soul) / Women = lahir (Body)

• Qualities like self control and asceticism are halus and batin and more attributed to men.

• Women are considered to be by nature more emotional and

• „He considered himself to be the soul of the family, I was his body. He was the great artist who dutifully mastered every difficulty, while my role consisted of taking care of


by nature more emotional and constrained within social and material dictates.

• Trade and financial matters belong to the kasar and lahir and are therefore attributed to women.

consisted of taking care of business to put food on the table“ (interv. by Niels Mulder)

Women are more trustworthy in handling money

• „What impressed me most about my grandmother was the story of how she once asked my grandfather how much he earned as an administrative official, and then cooly offered him double that amount if he

• „Whenever a man wants to go into town or go shopping for something here, he has to go to his wife, explain what he wants and ask her for some money. She may either refuse


him double that amount if he wanted to work for her!“ (Nena)

• „I´m the one who can deal with everything and make all the decisions. My husband doesn`t have the slightest idea about anything. I´m very satisfied with this, because I am the dominant one in the family“ (Ibu Darko, field notes)

money. She may either refuse or not give him enough“ (Javanese farmer quoted by Jay)

Javanese women are better in handling money than men

• In our study women had the

most important voice in

decisions regarding household

finances in more than 80% of

all families.

Nevertheless men profit more

• Most Javanese Women do work to earn an income

• Javanese women dominate the market trade (50 men to 100 women)


Nevertheless men profit more

from the household budget

adminstered by their wifes than

the wifes themselves.

(confirmed by all other studies)

Women in SMEs

• While we still find a high percentage of female-headed enterprises in the micro and home industry sector, the share of women owners decreases drastically as enterprises grow

• Percentage of women headed enterprises by sector:

Food production = 34%

Textile industry = 27%.

(BPS, 1998)


drastically as enterprises grow in scale and capital intensity

According to National statistics:

Micro enterprises = 44%

Small enterprises = 12%

"Micro" = 1 to 5 employeres,

“Small” = 5 to 19 employees,

“Medium” = 20 to 99 workers

• Project provided inputs for policy formulation concerning Small and Medium Enterprise Development to the Indonesian Government

• Quantitative survey in the cities of Semarang and Medan

ADB Development Project 2001-2002 Survey on SMEs


of Semarang and Medan• 482 small and medium

enterprises.

• Sectoral mix comprising manufacturing and processing (121 enterprises), services (120 enterprises), wholesale, retail, restaurants and accommodation (120 enterprises), transport, storage and communication (121 enterprises).

Size of enterprise by gender

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Small

Medium

Female Male


• In 22% of the male owned enterprises surveyed, however, the wives also work in the firm.

• SME s in which women are involved as entrepreneurs 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

all

finance

production

marketing

management

cooking for employees

assist in production

administration without decision

cashier

komisaris

supervisor


involved as entrepreneurs more than 30%.

• The survey strongly supports the traditional stereotype saying that women are better in handling money

• Most of the helping wives (36%) were responsible for finances, while husbands were more used for marketing.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

All decisions

Financial

Production

Marketing

Management

Husband, n=16 Wife, n=78

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Husband, n=16 Wife, n=78


• Survey results indicate that

enterprises managed by a

woman or by a woman and a

man together are more

successful than male-led

Development of business

Improved

No change

Worsened


successful than male-led

enterprises. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Female Male

ADB Development Project 2001-2002Survey on SMEs

• Female entrepreneurs are more realistic and cautious. Women would know exactly about risks and challenges before starting a new investment.


investment.

• Women entrepreneurs are more hesitant to apply for bank loans.

• Female entrepreneurs report fewer problems with business licenses, tax officials or illegal levies than their male counterparts.

Duration of operation by gender

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Less than 2 years

2 - 5 years

6 - 10 years

more than 10 years

Female Male

A polarizing generalisation

• Men are striving for wisdom, power and status

• Women are striving for material wellbeing

• Men are granted higher official status and power but

women are the more reliable business partners


women are the more reliable business partners

Thank You for your attention


for your attention

gender and trust in indonesia - hs-heilbronn.de · by one of the married men of the village....

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