From Subordination to Authority: Women’s Negotiation in Pesantren’s Patriarchal Order
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69552/mumtaz.v5i4.3624Keywords:
Subordination, Authority, Negotiation, Pesantren Women, Patriarchal StructureAbstract
This study begins with the reality that pesantren as traditional Islamic educational institutions often maintain patriarchal structures that place women in subordinate positions. The research addresses three main questions. First, how does women’s subordination appear within the patriarchal system of the pesantren? Second, what negotiation strategies do women use to gain space and authority? Third, how do Islamic pesantren women produce authority within patriarchal domination? The study uses a qualitative approach with a multi-site case study method. Data were collected through structured interviews, participant observation, and document analysis in several pesantren. The results show, first, that women’s subordination appears in four forms: structural, normative, cultural, and linguistic. Second, women negotiate these conditions through subtle, ethical, and adaptive strategies. Third, women build their authority through everyday ethical practices, which gradually become cultural and symbolic capital. This process helps them gain cultural recognition that eventually leads to formal acknowledgment. These findings contribute to gender studies in Islamic education by highlighting the active role of pesantren women in challenging and reshaping unequal power relations.
References
Agus, R. W. (2024). Eksistensi Lembaga Pondok Pesantren sebagai Pusat Pendidikan Karakter. Al Asma: Journal of Islamic Education, 6(2), 151–160. https://doi.org/10.24252/asma.v6i2.47536
Agustin, R. D. (2021). Agensi kepemimpinan perempuan: Entrepreneurship umi waheeda di pesantren Al Ashriyyah Nurul Iman, Parung, Bogor. Musawa Jurnal Studi Gender Dan Islam, 19(2), 235–247. https://doi.org/10.14421/musawa.2020.192-235-247
Andrianto, A., Sumiarti, S., Nofitayanti, N., & Hidayatullah, R. (2022). Pembentukan Karakter Berbasis Pendidikan Pesantren: Studi tentang Ragam Nilai dan Metode Pembelajaran. Fitrah: Journal of Islamic Education, 3(2), 176–190. https://doi.org/10.53802/fitrah.v3i2.156
Aziz, N. (2024). Implementasi Kesetaraan Gender dalam Penempatan Jabatan Kepengurusan di Pondok Pesantren Nurul Huda Cikandri Pangandaran. https://doi.org/10.32939/ljmpi.v2i2.4219
Bahtiar, Y., Syaifuddin, M., & Khasibah, N. (2023). Strategi Pengurus Pondok Pesantren Dalam Membina Kedisiplinan Belajar Santri. Jurnal AlifLam: Journal of Islamic Studies and Humanities, 3(2), 35–54. https://doi.org/10.51700/aliflam.v4i1.413
Bourdieu, P. (2011). The forms of capital.(1986). Cultural Theory: An Anthology, 1(81–93), 949.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2023). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Dahliana, D., Zyahnubah, S., Hakim, M. A., Aulia, A. S., Islami, M. E. N., & Suryaningsi, S. (2025). Kekerasan Seksual Di Lembaga Pendidikan Keagamaan: Analisis Gender Terhadap Budaya Diam Dan Ketimpangan Kekuasaan Di Pondok Pesantren. Triwikrama: Jurnal Ilmu Sosial, 9(12), 1–10.
Dewi, M., & Hakim, F. N. R. (2025). Kekerasan Seksual di Pesantren: Analisis Power and Control dengan Pendekatan Relasi Gender. Innovative: Journal Of Social Science Research, 5(4), 7374–7387.
El Adibah, E. D. N., Wicaksono, S., & al Asy’ari, M. K. H. (2024). Eksistensi Ulama Perempuan Dalam Budaya Parthiarkhi Di Pesantren: Studi Ulama Perempuan Di Kota Jember. Bidayah: Studi Ilmu-Ilmu Keislaman, 15(1), 31–49. https://doi.org/10.47498/bidayah.v15i1.2322
Feillard, A. (2021). Nancy J. Smith-Hefner, Islamizing Intimacies. Youth, Sexuality, and Gender in Contemporary Indonesia: Honolulu : University of Hawai’i Press, 2019, x + 248 p. Archives de Sciences Sociales Des Religions, 196, 420–424. https://doi.org/10.4000/assr.65524
Fuad, A. F. N. (2020). Da’wa and politics: Lived experiences of the female Islamists in Indonesia. Contemporary Islam, 14(1), 19–47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11562-019-00442-x
Fuad, A. F. N. (2021). Female Religious Authority among Tarbiyah Communities in Contemporary Indonesia. Archipel, 102, 187–207. https://doi.org/10.4000/archipel.2657
Fuadi, M. A., Marintan, M. A., Mahanani, Q. F. I., & Aslambik, M. (2023). Menyoal Ketimpangan Relasi Kuasa dan Upaya Pencegahan Kekerasan Seksual di Pesantren: Sebuah Tinjauan Kritis. https://doi.org/10.14421/musawa.2023.222.148-160
Hafidzi, A., Ali, M. H. M., & Nurdin, N. (2023). The role of Al-Falah boarding school in gender segregation: An analysis of the separation of men and women in Islamic education. Muadalah, 11(2), 99–108. https://doi.org/10.18592/muadalah.v11i2.9149
Herlina, H., & Munawara, M. (2025). Nyai Leadership: The Role of Women in Maintaining the Tradition of Santri Literacy in Islamic Boarding Schools. An-Nisa Journal of Gender Studies, 18(1), 85–98. https://doi.org/10.35719/annisa.v18i1.319
Hidayah, N., Ahid, N., Abd Rahman, Z., & Qosim, N. (2025). Preserving Identity through Education: The Role of Symbolic Capital in Cultural Reproduction at MMA Bahrul ‘Ulum. DINAMIKA: Jurnal Kajian Pendidikan Dan Keislaman, 10(1), 53–63. https://doi.org/10.32764/dinamika.v10i1.5865
Huda, A. N. (2026). Tantangan dan Solusi Dalam Menangani Patologi Sosial Keagamaan Di Lingkungan Pendidikan. Jurnal Pustaka, 26(1). https://ejournal2.unud.ac.id/index.php/pustaka/article/view/494
Islamic, G., Supriyono, Ishaq, M., & Dayati, U. (2024). Character education through philosophical values in traditional Islamic boarding schools. Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences, 45(1), 31–42. https://doi.org/10.34044/j.kjss.2024.45.1.04
Jannah, A. (2019). Ulama Perempuan Nahdlatul Ulama Otoritas, Gender dan Media Baru [PhD Thesis, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta]. https://digilib.uin-suka.ac.id/id/eprint/37121/
Kurniawati, A., & Muafiah, E. (2023). Kesetaraan Dan Keadilan Gender Dalam Lingkungan Pesantren. Excelencia: Journal of Islamic Education & Management, 3(01), 25–36. https://doi.org/10.21154/excelencia.v3i01.1478
Labibah, U., Taufiq, I., & Alimi, M. Y. (2022). Living Qur’an of Pesantren Women: A Manifestation of QS. An-Nisa 34 in A Woman Leadership Role of Nyai Munjidah Wahab. Jurnal Studi Ilmu-Ilmu Al-Qur’an Dan Hadis, 23(1), 89–110. https://doi.org/10.14421/qh.2022.2301-05
Mahfudh, M. S. (2024). Tracing gender equality in restrictions on female teachers’ teaching roles in pesantren. HUMANISMA: Journal of Gender Studies, 8(2), 151–164. https://doi.org/10.30983/humanisma.v8i2.9139
Mahfudloh, R. I. (2023). Peran Sanad Keilmuan Dalam Pengembangan Pondok Pesantren. Qomaruna: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 1(1), 23–30. https://doi.org/10.62048/qjms.v1i1.24
Mariyam & Ach. Taufiqil Aziz. (2023). Kiprah Nihayatul Wafiroh Di Masyarakat (Studi Kepemimpinan Perempuan Pondok Pesantren Darussalam Blokagung). Jurnal Darussalam: Jurnal Pendidikan, Komunikasi Dan Pemikiran Hukum Islam, 14(2), 93–113. https://doi.org/10.30739/darussalam.v14i2.1848
Maulia, U. N., Triatna, C., Abubakar, A., & Dikdik, A. (2025). The management of female boarding school students in implementing regulations at Islamic boarding schools. Scaffolding: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam Dan Multikulturalisme, 7(2), 388–409. https://doi.org/10.37680/scaffolding.v7i2.7445
Muafiah, E., Mayasari, L. D., Imtihanah, A. H., & Yuliani, B. (2024). Gendered Pesantren in Contemporary Indonesia: Female Agency, Institution, and Everyday Lives. https://doi.org/10.21043/qijis.v12i1.19859
Mujahid, I. (2021). Islamic orthodoxy-based character education: Creating moderate Muslim in a modern pesantren in Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies, 11(2), 185–212. https://doi.org/10.18326/ijims.v11i2.185-212
Murobbi, M. N., & Mardliyah, L. (2024). Analisis Kepemimpinan Nyai dalam Manajemen Pondok Pesantren:(Studi Kasus Pondok Pesantren Uzlifatil Jannah Kota Tangerang). Jurnal Penelitian Agama, 25(2), 291–305. https://doi.org/10.24090/jpa.v25i2.2024.pp291-305
Nasution, U. R. (2024). Patriarchy Negotiation: Batak Women and the Domination of the Role of Cultural Space. Al-Ahwal: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Islam, 17(1), 71–92. https://doi.org/10.14421/ahwal.2024.17105
Ngardi, V., Yufriadi, F., Harahap, S. S. A., Wibowo, T., & Istiqomah, M. (2025). Srikandi of the Ministry of Religious Affairs: Women’s Leadership in PTKIN Confronting Patriarchal Culture. Modern Islamic Studies and Sharia Research, 1(2), 93–103.
Nisa, K. M., Risqiya, N. A., & Putri, C. N. A. (2022). Otoritas Ulama Perempuan: Kepemimpinan Nyai dalam Mewujudkan Pendidikan Moderat di Pondok Pesantren MIA melalui Perspektif 9C. Southeast Asian Journal of Islamic Education Management, 3(2), 313–324. https://doi.org/10.21154/sajiem.v3i2.109
Nisa, W., & Yusuf, E. B. (2025). Implementasi Manajemen Strategi Kepemimpinan Bu Nyai Dalam Pembentukan Karakter Santri (Studi Kasus Pesantren Banyumas). Hujjah: Jurnal Ilmiah Komunikasi Dan Penyiaran Islam, 9(1), 92–102.
Pereira, A., & Rebelo, E. M. (2024). Women in public spaces: Perceptions and initiatives to promote gender equality. Cities, 154, 105346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2024.105346
Prihanto, B. A., & Widaningrum, A. (2024). Dinamika Perjuangan Kesetaraan Gender Masyarakat Urban (Memahami Gerakan Sosial International Women’s Day Di Kota Semarang). Musãwa Jurnal Studi Gender Dan Islam, 23(1), 22–38. https://doi.org/10.14421/musawa.2024.223.23-38
Ridder, H.-G. (2014). Qualitative Data Analysis. A Methods Sourcebook 3 rd Edition. JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24332877
Rusli, M., & Mardliyah, I. K. (2023). The Existence of Female Ulama in the Election of Religious Decisions of Rural Communities in Sedan, Rembang. Journal of Islamic Studies and Education, 2(2), 8–17. https://doi.org/10.63120/jise.v2i1.18
Sarwadi, S., & Raihan, N. (2025). Reinforcing Islamic Moral Values Through Contemporary Pesantren Education: A Pathway To Character Development. Edukasi Islami: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 14(04). https://jurnal.staialhidayahbogor.ac.id/index.php/ei/article/view/9041
Takdir, M., Lusiyana, L., Jannah, Z., & Maimunah, M. U. (2022). Understanding Social-Interaction Between Nyai And Female Santri In Pesantren Annuqayah, East Java. Jurnal Sosiologi Reflektif, 17(1), 125–152. https://doi.org/10.14421/jsr.v17i1.2548
Tohirin, T., & Nurfuadi, N. (2024). The role of Islamic religious education teachers in moral development in schools. Journal on Education, 6(4), 20167–20180.
Wahyudin, W. (2020). The Dynamics of Gender Equality: The Girls Ddi Mangkoso Islamic Boarding School in South Sulawesi. Musãwa Jurnal Studi Gender Dan Islam, 19(1), 99–108. https://doi.org/10.14421/musawa.2020.191.99-108
Wahyuni, S. I., Lestari, M. C. D. L. D., Sartika, D. S., & Sulasmi, S. (2023). Kepemimpinan Perempuan dalam Pengembangan Lembaga Pendidikan di Pondok Pesantren. SURAU: Journal of Islamic Education, 1(2), 161–170. https://doi.org/10.30983/surau.v1i2.7070
Winarno, E. P., Islah, I., Giyoto, G., Suharto, T., & Muharom, F. (2025). Investigasi Pendidikan Islam terhadap Kuasa Otoritas Kekerasan Seksual di Pesantren. Al Qalam: Jurnal Ilmiah Keagamaan Dan Kemasyarakatan, 19(2), 958–972. https://doi.org/10.35931/aq.v19i2.4795
Yaqin, M. A., & Sholihah, I. H. (2025). Transforming Women’s Leadership in Improving Service Quality in Islamic Boarding Schools. Managere: Indonesian Journal of Educational Management, 7(1), 49–58. https://doi.org/10.52627/managere.v7i1.728
Zahroh, S. F. (2024). Peran lingkungan pesantren dalam pembentukan karakter religius santri: Studi kasus di Pondok Pesantren Al-Hasani Pontianak. Edukais: Jurnal Pemikiran Keislaman, 8(1), 69–80. https://doi.org/10.61595/edukais.2024.8.1.69-80
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Sinta Bella, Helmi Syaifuddin, Jamilah
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
