Society

Indonesia’s 50-year-old family planning program has been a great success but is struggling to adapt with women’s needs

Oil palm projects are causing hunger in Merauke, both literal and symbolic

Drug use in Indonesia has a long history

Not all users of sabu-sabu are dependant on it, but their experiences are ignored by the law

Indonesia’s ill-informed war on drugs endangers and ends lives rather than saving them

People who use drugs occupy an ambiguous position in Indonesian government rhetoric

A unique drug rehabilitation centre in Bogor helps women regain their independence

The growing support for cannabis decriminalisation in Indonesia could both help and hinder broader drug reform

Mudik forms a bogus redemption for many precarious workers amid a lack of decent jobs in both rural and urban areas

Seorang antropolog Belanda tinggal di permukiman kumuh di bantaran kali Jakarta untuk memahami bagaimana warga di sana hidup berdampingan dengan banjir

A Dutch anthropologist lived in a Jakarta riverside slum to learn how residents there cope with constant flooding

A lifelong activist and retired midwife is teaching her peers to stay engaged… and not burden their children

On a recent study trip, journalism student Lisa Favazzo met two people giving back to their communities in extraordinary ways

More female candidates won’t mean more women in parliament

The urban poor and workers unions are looking to local government to improve their lot

Premarital sex must be acknowledged as unavoidable, to end a vicious cycle of lost potential

Kemampuan media sosial untuk mencabut stigma seputar bunuh diri masih belum digunakan sepenuhnya

A ‘waria’ version of the traditional flag ceremony celebrates both nationhood and diversity

Voices From Greater Jakarta

Australia/ Indonesia | 2018 | Colour | All Ages | 10:00 | Documentary | Producers: Iwu D. Utomo, Ariane J. Utomo, Peter McDonald

As the election year unfolds, Indonesians are being reminded frequently of the tremendous ‘power’ of the young generation. But who are the so-called millennial voters, and do politicians have a good grasp of what the most pertinent issues are that they face in their everyday lives?

According to media coverage, some of these candidates would have us believe that the average millennial voter in Indonesia is an upper middle class city-dwelling tertiary graduate (most likely living in Jakarta); looking for work with a relatively high starting salary in the creative or digital sector; changing jobs every year because they want to travel; and spending their days leisurely sipping an artisan latte in an instagrammable café, daydreaming about running the Tokyo marathon as they swipe their phone.

Nothing could be further from reality. While this millennial lifestyle may apply to a very select group, it does not represent everyday realities for the vast majority. According to a new longitudinal study, it is not even true for many millennials in metropolitan Jakarta where the average level of education among young adults is the highest in Indonesia.

In 2009, a team of Indonesian and Australian researchers began a large study of young adults in Jakarta, Bekasi and Tangerang, otherwise known as the Greater Jakarta region. The study sought to understand their experiences of transitioning into adulthood. According to the 2010 Indonesian Population Census, there were about 61 million people aged 20 to 34 in Indonesia that year. With marked achievements in literacy and education relative to the older generation, this large cohort of young adults was poised to bring about the country’s so-called demographic bonus.

Misinformation and lack of opportunity form disproportionate barriers for rural youth looking for work