Gender Inequality and the Oppression of Women within Minangkabau Matrilineal Society: A Case Study of the Management of <i>Ulayat</i> Forest Land in Nagari Bonjol, Dharmasraya District, West Sumatra Province, Indonesia

Abstract

Gender inequality within the Melayu clan of a Minangkabau matrilineal community in Dharmasraya District, West Sumatra Province in Indonesia, leads to the clan’s women experiencing injustice when it comes to the management of communal forest land (ulayat). This inequality is most clearly shown in situations in which men sell communal forest land for their own personal interests. Moreover, the distribution of nucleus estate smallholder oil palm plantation (NESHP) plots disadvantages women. Although these plots are supposed to be distributed fairly among community members, the system used is controlled by the male communal ruler, who holds rights over the community as a whole. The practices used to manage ulayat forestland within the Melayu clan prove that women within the matrilineal system used by the Minangkabau group, of which the Melayu clan is a part, are not treated equally in terms of the management of natural resources. This inequality arises due to an imbalance that exists between men and women over the rights they have to manage the ulayat forest. The findings of this study challenge previous studies which have suggested that gender inequality is mainly an issue within patrilineal societies; the finding suggests that it also occurs within matrilineal systems such as within the Melayu clan in Bonjol village.