This week Wednesday Forum will provide the discussion with the topic Shifting Images of Young Womanhood Among Muslim Women: Nasyiatul Aisyiyah?s Experiences. The Speaker is Dr. Siti Syamsiyatun. We invite you to join this forum. The time, place, and brief information about this forum are here inturn:
Date: Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Time: 12.30 pm ? 2.30 pm (free lunch)
Venue: Room 306, UGM Graduate School Teknika Utara Pogung
Speaker: Dr. Siti Syamsiyatun
Abstract: The concept of youth has been broadly discussed by many different parties and involving many facets of different considerations, from that related to biological development, psychological, as well as sociological approaches. This presentation attempts to discuss how the notion of youh has been interpreted and applied among Muslim women, particulalrly by those who are involved in Nasyiatul Aisyiyah (henceforth shortened as Nasyiah), an Islamic organization claimed to be serving young Muslim women. Founded in 1931 ?during the late colonial period, in Yogyakarta , Nasyiah couldn?t ascape from the general assumption of the meaning of youth in the community within which it has operated. However, during its course of history, Nasyiah has attempet to promote new idea of young womanhood whisch different from that commonly held by community. Marriage had been a significant, if not the most significant rite of pessage in which a girl is becoming a woman ?an adult woman, regardless of their age. With the availability of public schooling and economic development, age has become more prominent sign of youth than marriage, because many girls have remained longer in the school and many too have sought jobs afterward. Thus marriage age has been delayed and increased. The contemporary trend of youthfulness among Nasyiah activists is no longer marriage and age, but more on the willingness to take up challenges and face risks in the context of organizatioal development..
About the speaker: Dr. Syamsiyatun currently serves as the associate director of Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS-Yogya) . She is also a faculty member at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. She teaches at Dakwah Faculty. Dr. Syamsiyatun began her career with Yogyakarta Muhammadiyah University in 1989 as a Teaching Assistant. In 1992, she became a lecture at the same institution. In 1996, she started working as a faculty member at Dakwah Faculty, UIN Sunan Kalijaga. In addition to her work with Dakwah Faculty, She works closely with UIN Sunan Kalijaga Center for Women’s Studies to facilitate several research projects and trainings on gender awareness and analysis. In 2006, she was appointed the Director of the International Office of UIN Sunan Kalijaga. Dr. Siti Syamsiyatun is also a guest lecture at the Center of Religious and Cross Cultural Studies (CRCS) UGM and the International Program at Islamic University of Indonesia. Her publications include Women Negotiating feminism and Islamism: the experience of Nasyiatul Aisyiyah 1985-2005, Women in Ithna ‘Asyari Shi’i Cosmic Mythology, The Notion of Light in Two Shi’i Qur’anic Commentary Books, Gender Relations in Family: Experiences of three women from an Islamic Perspective and Social Change, and Community Development in the eyes of Indonesian Muslim Women: Nasyiatul “Aisyiah during the new order regime. She is also the editor and co-translator of the translated books of the original works by Sandra Harding on (1) From Women Question in Science to Scientific Question in Feminism; (2) Whose Science, Whose Knowledge? Thinking from Women Perspective, published by Cornell University Press.
Registration: The forum is free of charge and on a first-come-first basis. All are welcome.
Contact person: Maufur ipung (ICRS): maufur_nd@yahoo. com Mustaghfiroh Rahayu (CRCS):