The role of women in the legislature institution could not be regarded as a political act, because women legislators do not have the full flexibility and freedom of speech while gender equality does not exist within these institutions. In the legislature field, male dominance is still strong. This was said by Hastanti Widy Nugroho, doctoral student of Philosophy UGM, at her open examination for doctorate degree, Wednesday (25/5), at the Auditorium of the Faculty of Philosophy.
In her dissertation entitled Concept of Hannah Arendt’s Women Politics in the Perspective of Political Philosophy, she said that female reasoning ability is not enough to be able to act politically in the legislature. In contrast, female has more potential to control private sector which will impact public sector to revise the current definition of power that usually relates to violence.
Women in politics, according to Hannah Arendt, German-American philosopher, emphasized the concept of love and the ability to forgive as one of female ethics. This has to be considered as a strategy developed by female politicians to obtain equivalent positions to men. “According to Arendt, power can work without violence and terror,'' she said.
According to Arendt, the power that puts women's specific feminine values should be promoted as a counterweight to the dominance of men. "Not only in the conceptual level, but in the everyday life," she said.