The Discrepancy Between the Public and the Private Selves of Indonesian Women A Comparison of Published and Unpublished Autobiographies and Diaries

This study investigates public and private representations of identities of Indonesian women in the New Order period (1967-1998) in the form of published autobiographies and unpublished diaries collected during fieldwork. During the New Order era, the government tried to indoctrinate conservative ideas about gender using various media. While autobiographies published in New Order Indonesia did not have the freedom to challenge the authoritative eye, those women who produced such works are still perceived as exerting their individuality and criticizing, however indirectly, the social conditions surrounding them. In the unpublished diaries considered, although the authors are more vocal in their dissension, nevertheless one discovers the reflection of patriarchal values in Indonesia.