Yogyakarta, November 11th 2025 – The Peace and Conflict Resolution (MPRK) Interest Program at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) held a thematic lecture to stimulate students’ critical awareness. In the latest session, students had the opportunity to explore the issue of “Gender-Fair Curatorial and Editorial” directly from the inspiring figure of Okky Madasari, a leading Indonesian writer and sociologist.
Okky Madasari, known for his incisive works on social justice and gender equality, was present to open students’ eyes to the hidden dimensions of discourse production practices.
Challenging the Neutrality of Editorial and Curatorial Spaces
In an interactive session, Okky emphasized that curatorial and editorial processes—both in the mass media and in cultural spaces—are never neutral.
“Who is chosen to appear, what narratives are presented, and even how female and male figures are portrayed are all the result of a selection process and decisions fraught with values and interests,” explained Okky.
This statement encouraged students to analyze practices that have long been considered objective, but are actually arenas for negotiations of power and interests.
Gender Justice: More Than Just Numbers
This lecture successfully uncovered students’ critical awareness that efforts to achieve gender justice must begin at the earliest stages of discourse production. This includes:
- Decisions in the editorial room.
- The topic selection process.
- Narrative development.
- Curatorial work in art or cultural exhibitions.
Okky emphasized that gender justice is not merely a matter of representation (quantity), but rather, far more essential, a space for voices, perspectives, and ways of telling reality fairly.
MPRK’s Contribution to Inclusive Peace
For MPRK students, this theme broadens their perspective that the struggle for peace and social justice is a complex field.
“Developing gender-fair curatorial and editorial content is a crucial part of our efforts to create a more inclusive and humane public space,” said one of MPRK student.
Through this course, students increasingly understand that peace efforts cannot be separated from media and culture construct meanings about women, men, and other identities. This awareness equips aspiring peacemakers with the ability to identify and dismantle biases that undermine structures of justice in society.
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Author: Mariano Ombo
Editor: Burhanul Aqil