Pesanten and Gender Issues: The Role of Women's Students in Modern Leadership

Abstract

Pesantren as the oldest Islamic educational institution in Indonesia faces the challenge of gender equality in the midst of the demands of modern leadership. This article aims to describe the construction of gender roles in pesantren, identify the form of leadership roles of female students, and analyze its supporting and inhibiting factors. This study uses a qualitative method with a literature study approach and critical discourse analysis of pesantren literature, the yellow book, and previous research. The results of the study show that the gender construction in pesantren still tends to be patriarchal, characterized by sex-based division of labor and the lack of representation of female students in the highest leadership structure. However, female students have shown leadership roles in various forms: as leaders of intra-pesantren organizations, driving women's empowerment programs, and actors in cross-pesantren forums. The main supporting factors include the support of female nyai/teachers, access to general education, and alumni networks. On the other hand, the inhibiting factors are in the form of textual interpretation of the yellow book (e.g., Q.S. An-Nisa: 34), gender stereotypes, and domestic-public dual role conflicts. This article recommends the integration of gender perspectives in pe santren curricula, affirmative policies for the regeneration of female students, and further longitudinal research.