Our featured presenter for the month of December is Rachel Rinaldo, associate professor of sociology and faculty director of the Center for Asian Studies at CU Boulder. Her research interests include gender, religion, social change, development, and qualitative methods, with a focus on Muslim Southeast Asia.
Rachel’s presentation is on “Decades of Change: Women's Rights in Contemporary Indonesia.” Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population, yet it is also known for its dynamic civil society and women's active involvement in public life. In her presentation she will briefly discuss the history of women's rights in Indonesia, followed by a description of her research on Muslim women and divorce. In particular, she addresses how rising divorce rates reflect women's increasing marital aspirations and how Islamic courts facilitate this trend. She will conclude with a discussion of how Indonesian women have navigated family and work responsibilities during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.