The mainstream concept of privacy tends to render the bodies, experiences, ideas and expressions of women and other minority groups as ‘inappropriate’.
For those living with the experiences of oppression and violence, reclaiming privacy is seen as a means of resistance to the status quo.
Learn more in our recent study “Feminist Privacy: Cross-Dimensional Autonomy and Agency”:
How do we co-create privacy that centres agency, safety, and freedom of expressions?
Recognition of agency in the lives of women and gender minorities shows an equal position and the right to have control over oneself.
Privacy protection breeds a sense of security because authority over the self and the collective is respected, recognised and free from coercion or interference.
This is our call to look at privacy through an intersectional perspective, which recognises the layers of oppression that differs from one individual to another.
Executive Summary
PRIVACY is a term we hear frequently in everyday life, yet it’s difficult to describe due to its abstract nature. Besides often being considered a “foreign” term and not originating in Indonesia, privacy is generally considered irrelevant to the general public because there is nothing to cover or hide. Conversely, the public is increasingly aware of a series of privacy violations, from cases of sexual violence to personal data breaches. This has led to a growing expectation of privacy protection.
The diverse understandings and experiences of privacy in Indonesian society prompted PurpleCode to delve deeper: redefining privacy through a feminist lens. A feminist perspective is crucial to fill the gap in the literature on privacy in Indonesia. A feminist perspective believes that every experience is knowledge. This research involved 13 women research partners from diverse identities. Through this process, this research attempts to document the meaning of privacy for oppressed groups, who have historically been deprived of agency over their bodies and space.
Here are some key findings from Feminist Privacy: Cross-Dimensional Autonomy and Agency research.
First, privacy does not have a single meaning, as its meaning and perception stem from a diversity of identities and experiences. Privacy is no longer simply something secret and undiscussed, as this outdated concept often serves as a tool of control that limits vulnerable groups because it is perceived as going against social norms. For example, information about the reproductive health of women and gender minorities is considered taboo, a form of privacy violation that negates their agency.
Therefore, a shared understanding is needed to dismantle the taboo concept of privacy, transforming it from something considered secret and undiscussed into a liberating privacy. For our research partners, unpacking the meaning of privacy involves documenting every experience, including oppression related to the bodies, ideas, identities, perspectives, and beliefs of individuals and groups, which must be recognized and protected. In this regard, privacy should also transcend the meaning of individuality and ownership, as indigenous communities recognize communal privacy.
Second, privacy violations are complex issues. This research notes that privacy violations are also closely related to unequal power relations and domination. Some parties feel they have control over individuals or minority groups, even determining what is private and public, including attempts to intervene. These violations occur in various relational contexts, such as family and children, corporations and workers or consumers, states and citizens, and other institutions. The common thread in the complexity of privacy violations is that violations are not experienced individually, but structurally. Systemic hegemony drives violations that have collective impacts. The oppression experienced by transgender women who experience discrimination in public spaces demonstrates that these violations occur structurally, not solely individually. Therefore, defending privacy is a political act to secure a more inclusive public space.
Privacy violations impact agency, security, and freedom of expression. One form of privacy violation results in restrictions on access to information, knowledge, and services, fundamentally hindering social participation and decision-making. Furthermore, it also impacts the security of women and minority groups. Security is not only defined as physical security, but also as the right to psychological security. The real-life experiences of women who adhere to beliefs-faith demonstrate how the intimidation their community experiences while practicing their belief (a form of privacy violation) directly impacts their sense of security. This sense of security must also be understood holistically, encompassing physical, psychological, and digital aspects. Furthermore, privacy violations are closely related to freedom of expression. Freedom of expression, as a fundamental right, is restricted through regulations and norms that are not inclusive and discriminatory towards minorities. Collectively, this research examines the need to promote spaces for expression for all individuals, without discrimination.
This research believes that respect and honor of privacy cannot be interpreted solely from a formal legal perspective; because privacy violations often stem from oppressive structures, including the state and wider society, which perpetuate inequality. This is demonstrated by the research findings that the law is a double-edged sword, which structurally shapes or validates the behavior (good or bad) of the wider community. Therefore, the fight for privacy is not merely an individual effort, but a collective effort that must be fought for together. This research found that simply pushing for the revocation of these problematic legal products is not enough; collective efforts to fight for feminist privacy must also push for the ratification of a legal product that addresses the root of the problem, namely the Anti-Discrimination Bill. This must be accompanied by collective efforts to practice consent as a key element in respecting and honoring the privacy of women and minority groups in Indonesia.
CO-CREATING AND RECLAIMING
Feminist Privacy
Perceptions of privacy are often controlled by those who have authority over other people’s data and information. Feminist privacy, however, centres the perceptions of privacy to be deeply personal — as they are formed through knowledge derived from highly personalised bodily and mental experiences.
Our proposal of feminist privacy is rendered by our research partners: women, diverse sexual orientation and gender expressions, disabled, indigenous, believer groups, and survivors: to construct privacy that respect agency, security, and freedom of expression.
Privacy, Feminism, and Technology
As privacy discourses are expanding along the tech advancements, in 2022 we published “CTRL+ F+ Privasi di Ruang Tak Bertepi: Memaknai Privasi Melalui Kacamata Feminis” (Privacy in Endless Space: Interpreting Privacy Through Feminist Perspectives).
This pocket book was designed as our initial step to put forward the feminist lens into the concept of privacy as our means of freedom and liberation. Available only in Bahasa Indonesia.
“Dismantling the meaning of privacy is to record every experience, including oppression related to the bodies, ideas, identities, views, and beliefs of individuals and groups that must be recognised and protected.”
Feminist Privacy: Cross Dimensional Autonomy and Agency
