Influence of Religion and Culture on Women’s Rights in Joint Property Settlements in Java, Indonesia

Layyin Mahfiana; Noor Dzuhaidah Binti Osman; Evi Ariyani; Lutfiana Zahriani

doi:10.18326/ijtihad.v25i1.117-138

Authors

Layyin Mahfiana Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Mas Said Surakarta
Noor Dzuhaidah Binti Osman Faculty of Syariah and Law Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia
Evi Ariyani Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Mas Said Surakarta
Lutfiana Zahriani Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Mas Said Surakarta

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18326/ijtihad.v25i1.117-138

Keywords:

affirmative action, community property, family law, gender mainstreaming

Abstract

Cultural discourse is still dominated by stereotypes that categorize women as second-class citizens with limited roles in the domestic sphere. This view was eroded by modernity but still had implications for minimal protection of women's rights, including in the settlement of joint property after divorce. The hypothesis was that the mechanism for resolving joint property did not provide optimal protection for women's rights due to legal factors, culture biases, and a gender-biased understanding of the law. Therefore, this study examined the problems of resolving joint property through three dimensions, namely (1) Ontological, which showed the inequality of justice for women in the division of joint property, (2) Epistemological, which examined the method of resolution that was still patriarchal due to a lack of understanding of equal rights, partner egoism, and the dominant patriarchal culture, and (3) Axiological, which discussed policy options that were more inclusive and fair for women. The method used was a sociological-empirical (non-doctrinal) analysis of legal regulations, and empirical data from real cases were collected through interviews. This study offered two main innovations, and the first filled a significant gap in the investigation of strategies for resolving joint property that favors women. The second innovation was the preparation of a model affirmative action in the Division of Joint Property as a solution to gender discrimination in law. The results were expected to be the basis for policies and strategies for gender mainstreaming in Islamic family law in Java, Indonesia. Furthermore, this study contributed to uncovering gender inequality in the division of joint property through a holistic method, including ontological, epistemological, and axiological dimensions. Based on empirical data from real-life practices, the result showed that the legal system remained patriarchal and failed to provide optimal protection for women’s rights.

References

Abubakar, F., Nurlaelawati, E. and Wahib, A.B. (2022) ‘Interpreting “bulugh”: enhancement of women’s rights through management of marriage within salafi community in Wirokerten Yogyakarta’, Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies, 12(1), pp. 139–163. Available at: https://doi.org/10.18326/IJIMS.V12I1.139-163.

Aisya, A., Djaja, B. and Sudirman, M. (2024) ‘Pembagian Harta Bersama Secara Merata Anak Laki-Laki dan Perempuan (Studi Putusan No. 382/Pdt.G/2021/Pa.Plh)’, Jurnal Sosial Teknologi, 4(12), pp. 1027–1034. Available at: https://doi.org/10.59188/JURNALSOSTECH.V4I12.31774.

Aliyah, N.D. and Evendi, W. (2023) ‘Inheritance Law in Indonesia: Challenges, Solutions, and the Role of Culture and Religion’, Bulletin of Science, Technology and Society, 2(2), pp. 1–4. Available at: https://inti.ejournalmeta.com/index.php/inti/article/view/23 (Accessed: 27 March 2025).

Andrea, F.T.R. and Awaliyah, Z.N. (2022) ‘Fulfillment of The Rights of Wife and Children Post Divorce’, MILRev: Metro Islamic Law Review, 1(2), pp. 231–242. Available at: https://doi.org/10.32332/MILREV.V1I2.6211.

Ani (2024), personal interview in Malang, 3 August.

Astutik, E. et al. (2020) ‘Association between women’s empowerment and diarrhea in children under two years in Indonesia’, Children and Youth Services Review, 113, p. 105004. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CHILDYOUTH.2020.105004.

Bedner, A. and Van Huis, S. (2010) ‘Plurality of marriage law and marriage registration for Muslims in Indonesia: a plea for pragmatism’, Utrecht Law Review, 6(2), p. 175. Available at: https://doi.org/10.18352/ULR.130.

Çakın, B., Glas, S. and Spierings, N. (2024) ‘Polarization, religiosity, and support for gender equality: A comparative study across four Muslim-majority countries’, Women’s Studies International Forum, 103. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/J.WSIF.2024.102880.

Davinić, M., Kristoffersson, E. and Marinković, T. (2023) ‘Gender Equality Aspects of Public Law’, pp. 305–340. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14360-1_9.

Dea (2024), personal interview in Indramayu, 27 September.

Devlin, R.F.. and Dodek, Adam. (2016) ‘Regulating judges : beyond independence and accountability’, p. 420. Available at: https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/regulating-judges-9781786430786.html (Accessed: 7 March 2025).

Don, Y. et al. (2024) ‘Kedudukan Istri dalam Pembagian Harta Gono-Gini Menurut Hukum Keluarga Islam dan Undang-Undang Perkawinan di Indonesia’, Jurnal Kolaboratif Sains, 7(10), pp. 3812–3815. Available at: https://doi.org/10.56338/JKS.V7I10.6262.

Faizah, N. et al. (2024) ‘The Role of Indonesian Women Ulama Congress (KUPI) in the Search for Gender Equality-Based Islamic Law’, Al-’Adalah, 21(2), pp. 323–346. Available at: https://doi.org/10.24042/ADALAH.V21I2.23698.

Habudin, I., Sunan, U. and Yogyakarta, K. (2021) ‘KEADILAN “SETENGAH HATI”: Menakar Kedudukan Suami-Isteri dan Poligami dalam Undang-Undang Perkawinan dan Kompilasi Hukum Islam’, Al-Ahwal: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Islam, 6(2), pp. 179–194. Available at: https://doi.org/10.14421/ahwal.2013.06206.

Hariyanto, E. et al. (2021) ‘Sakinah Family Empowerment by Optimizing the Role of BP4 and Parents Mental Revolution Perspective’, Samarah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga dan Hukum Islam, 5(2), pp. 619–647. Available at: https://doi.org/10.22373/SJHK.V5I2.10965.

Hefner, R.W.. (2024) Islam and citizenship in Indonesia : democracy and the quest for an inclusive public ethics. Routledge. Available at: https://www.routledge.com/Islam-and-Citizenship-in-Indonesia-Democracy-and-the-Quest-for-an-Inclusive-Public-Ethics/Hefner/p/book/9781032629131 (Accessed: 7 March 2025).

Heriyanto, H. (2023) ‘Patriarchal Culture, Theology and State Hegemony in Issues of Gender Equality in Indonesian Politics’, pp. 11–15. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-150-0_3.

Holden, L. and Nurlaelawati, E. (2019) ‘Nilai-Nilai Budaya dan Keadilan bagi Perempuan di Pengadilan Agama Indonesia: Praktik Terbaik’. Available at: https://doi.org/10.34894/VQ1DJA.

Huis, S.C. van. (2015) ‘Islamic courts and women’s divorce rights in Indonesia : the cases of Cianjur and Bulukumba’, p. 294.

Hukum tentang Perkawinan Islam - Google Books (no date). Available at: https://www.google.co.id/books/edition/Hukum_tentang_Perkawinan_Islam/z9QuEQAAQBAJ?hl=id&gbpv=1&dq=Hukum+Perkawinan+Islam+dan+Isu-isu+Kontemporer+Hukum+Keluarga&printsec=frontcover (Accessed: 26 May 2025).

Ihsan (2024), personal interview in Malang, 4 August.

Imah (2024), personal interview in Cilacap, 23 August.

Ipul (2024), personal interview in in Malang, 1 August.

Ismail et al. (2023) ‘Legal Age Equality in Marriage According to Indonesian Positive Law in the Studies of Gender and Maqāṣid Al-Sharia’, De Jure: Jurnal Hukum dan Syar’iah, 15(1), pp. 67–81. Available at: https://doi.org/10.18860/J-FSH.V15I1.17696.

Khafid (2024), personal interview in Cilacap, 24 August.

Lestari, P.A. (2024) ‘Reclaiming Faith and Justice: A Narrative Review of Islamic Feminism’, Sinergi International Journal of Islamic Studies, 2(3), pp. 176–189. Available at: https://doi.org/10.61194/IJIS.V2I3.608.

Lubis, R.R. et al. (2025) ‘Towards Legal Justice: Expanding Criteria for Obligatory Bequests in Unregistered Wives in Polygamous Marriages’, Al-Ahkam, 35(1), pp. 117–146. Available at: https://doi.org/10.21580/AHKAM.2025.35.1.25358.

Maman (2024), personal interview in Indramayu, 28 September.

Muqtada, M.R. et al. (2024) ‘Fiqh Contestation on Women’s Public Leadership in Indonesia and Malaysia: Reproducing Qur’anic and Hadith Interpretations’, AL-IHKAM: Jurnal Hukum & Pranata Sosial, 19(1), pp. 221–248. Available at: https://doi.org/10.19105/AL-LHKAM.V19I1.13163.

Nelli, J., Mansur, A., Zulkifli, Z., Maghfirah, M., Hardani, S., & Aida, I. N. (2023). The Immorality of a Husband as the Cause of a Working Wife to File for Divorce Lawsuit in Indonesia. JURIS (Jurnal Ilmiah Syariah), 22(1), 119. https://doi.org/10.31958/juris.v22i1.7392

Pelu, I.E.A. and Dakhoir, A. (2021) ‘Marital Property Within the Marriage Law a Debate on Legal Position and Actual Applications’, Al-Jami’ah, 59(2), pp. 287–316. Available at: https://doi.org/10.14421/ajis.2021.592.287-316.

PLATT, MARIA. (2019) MARRIAGE, GENDER AND ISLAM IN INDONESIA : women negotiating informal marriage, divorce and desire. ROUTLEDGE. Available at: https://www.routledge.com/Marriage-Gender-and-Islam-in-Indonesia-Women-Negotiating-Informal-Marriage-Divorce-and-Desire/Platt/p/book/9780367867638 (Accessed: 7 March 2025).

Pons, M. et al. (2022) ‘An Empirical Study on Mediation in Civil and Commercial Disputes in Europe: The Mediation Service Providers Perspective’, Revista Ítalo-española de Derecho procesal, 2022(2), pp. 11–54. Available at: https://doi.org/10.37417/RIVITSPROC/802.

Raharjo Jati, W. et al. (2024) ‘Forced Marriage and Sex Trafficking under the Guise of Nikah Siri in Indonesia’, Studia Islamika, 31(2), pp. 221–249. Available at: https://doi.org/10.36712/SDI.V31I2.39198.

Retno, R. et al. (2023) ‘Ragam Putusan Hakim Tentang Harta Bersama: Analisis Kepastian Hukum Terhadap Putusan Pengadilan Agama Mengenai Harta Bersama di Indonesia’, Jurnal Interpretasi Hukum, 4(2), pp. 269–277. Available at: https://doi.org/10.22225/JUINHUM.4.2.7569.269-277.

Rouf, A. (2024) ‘Jurimetrics in the Reconstruction of the Joint Property Division Model for Wage-Earner Wives in Indonesia’, Al-Ahkam, 34(1), pp. 1–32. Available at: https://doi.org/10.21580/AHKAM.2024.34.1.17937.

Royani, E. (2021) ‘Pembagian Harta Bersama Akibat Perceraian yang berkeadilan pancasila’, Zahir Publishing, pp. 1–285.

Sulubara, S.M. (2023) ‘Perlindungan Perempuan Dalam Pembagian Harta Gono Gini Sebagai Akibat Putusnya Perkawinan Akibat Perceraian’, Sejahtera: Jurnal Inspirasi Mengabdi Untuk Negeri, 3(1), pp. 55–64. Available at: https://doi.org/10.58192/SEJAHTERA.V3I1.1642.

Shin, J., Lew, Y.K. and Seo, M. (2024) ‘Constructing Muslim womanhood in Indonesia: Hijab and the governmentality of religious organizations’, Asian Journal of Social Science, 52(3), pp. 136–144. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/J.AJSS.2024.07.001.

Sumarna, D. and Kadriah, A. (2023) ‘Penelitian Kualitatif Terhadap Hukum Empiris’, JURNAL PENELITIAN SERAMBI HUKUM, 16(02), pp. 101–113. Available at: https://doi.org/10.59582/SH.V16I02.730).

Susilawati, S. et al. (2023) ‘Manifestations of Gender Injustice in Divorced Marriages: The Kabalutan Tradition’, Jambura Law Review, 5(1), pp. 136–155. Available at: https://doi.org/10.33756/JLR.V5I1.17722.

Susylawati, E. (2019) ‘The Judge Principle Is Active in Case of Divorce in Madura District Religious Court’, AL-IHKAM: Jurnal Hukum & Pranata Sosial, 14(2), pp. 267–282. Available at: https://doi.org/10.19105/AL-LHKAM.V14I2.2435.

Tarmizi, T. et al. (2024) ‘Inheritance Distribution and Conflict Resolution in Bone Regency: Upholding Women’s Rights and Islamic Law Objectives’, De Jure: Jurnal Hukum dan Syar’iah, 16(2), pp. 255–277. Available at: https://doi.org/10.18860/J-FSH.V16I2.29477.

Tjahjadi, B. et al. (2024) ‘Women on boards, corporate environment responsibility engagement and corporate financial performance: evidence from Indonesian manufacturing companies’, Gender in Management, 39(8), pp. 1017–1036. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-08-2021-0237/FULL/XML.

Tsaqib Idary, M. et al. (2024) ‘Hak-Hak Perempuan dalam Cerai Gugat’, EKOMA : Jurnal Ekonomi, Manajemen, Akuntansi, 3(4), pp. 963–971. Available at: https://doi.org/10.56799/EKOMA.V3I4.3556.

Umar (2024), personal interview in Malang, 4 August.

Wakhidah, N. et al. (2024) ‘The Legal Culture of Samin Community of Family Law in Central Java’, AL-IHKAM: Jurnal Hukum & Pranata Sosial, 19(1), pp. 125–150. Available at: https://doi.org/10.19105/AL-LHKAM.V19I1.10341.

Warto (2024), personal interview in Malang, 4 August.

Wilson, W.D. (2025) ‘Womanist bioethics: social justice, spirituality, and Black women’s health’, p. 215.

Yusriana, D. and Hum, M. (2022) ‘Analisis Hukum Terhadap Penyelesaian Sengketa Harta Bersama Menurut Kompilasi Hukum Islam’, Juripol (Jurnal Institusi Politeknik Ganesha Medan), 5(2), pp. 68–78. Available at: https://doi.org/10.33395/JURIPOL.V5I2.11690.

Zafar, M.B. and Abu-Hussin, M.F. (2025) ‘Religiosity and Islamic work ethic: A cross-cultural comparison in majority and non-majority Muslim countries’, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 105, p. 102115. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJINTREL.2024.102115.

Zamrani, M. (2019) ‘Prinsip-prinsip Hukum Pencatatan Pernikahan di Indonesia’. Available at: https://books.google.co.id/books?id=9bOWDwAAQBAJ (Accessed: 7 March 2025).