Gender Politics and Political Strategies of Female Candidate in Lampung Province, Indonesia

Female politicians in Indonesia are still facing social discrimination when running for election as regional leaders or legislative members. Some of them succeeded in overcoming those challenges, while others still find it difficult. This article studied the implemented strategy by the female political candidate in Lampung province, when facing social discrimination during her candidacy. This case study used in-depth interviews with prominent political figures, observations and documentation. The result showed that the female candidate during the Lampung governor election maximised her social network, apart from other factors that helped her win the election with her political pair. To overcome social barriers and discrimination, a female political candidate should use many strategies, including the extensive use of social media to win the majority of votes.

Keywords: gender politics; general election; local election; political strategies