Image of Woman in Indonesian Folktales: Selected Stories from the Eastern Indonesian Region

In Indonesia, a folk tale is used as a medium of entertainment as well as a teaching tool for children. Parents
read folktales to their children at night. Folktales are used in the text of Indonesian lessons at the elementary
education level. However, Indonesian folktale is suspected of being gender-biased. Although there is
research on this subject, there is still little research on Indonesian folktales originating from Eastern
Indonesia. Previous research conducted is still focused on the western region of Indonesia, for example,
Java and Sumatra Island. This study aims to understand how women are depicted in Eastern Indonesian
folktales, especially to understand the objectification of female characters. Based on the results of our
research, we argue that many female characters in Eastern Indonesian folktales are subject to objectification.
The objectification of female figures is carried out in the form of women as objects of sexuality, women as
a medium of exchange of power, and women being passive and working in the domestic sphere. This finding
shows that the folktale of Eastern Indonesia cannot be separated from patriarchal ideology. These stories
show that women in the imagination of the Indonesian people still occupy an inferior position compared
to men. Furthermore, the female characters also experience objectification and inequality as in folktales
from Western Indonesia. The patriarchal point of view in folktales has deep roots and spreads in Indonesia.
Research proves that the ideology of folktale is not always in harmony with the ideal values?? that exist in
society. It takes a critical attitude towards the selection of stories that will be conveyed to children