Muslim women gather in a Cirebon bookshop to discuss topics including lesbianism and female circumcision
Joanne McMillan and Alimah
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On a Friday afternoon in late 2010, a crowd has gathered in Gramedia bookshop in Cirebon, West Java to participate in a discussion with expert panellists about The ‘O’ Project, one of the most talked-about books of the year. The ‘O’ in the title is for orgasm and the book, by activist Firliana Purwanti, is based around conversations with women from diverse backgrounds about their experiences of sexual orgasm. These conversations took place in Aceh, Jakarta and Surabaya between April and December 2009, and include frank discussion on controversial topics such as female circumcision, virginity, polygamy, lesbianism, sex work, HIV/AIDS and masturbation.
Many Indonesians, particularly those from devout Muslim backgrounds, would consider it taboo for women to speak openly about their experiences of sexual pleasure. Like The ‘O’ Project, the afternoon’s event aimed to confront that taboo head on and in doing so inspire critical discussion about sexuality and related social justice issues. Participants in the event, most of whom are affiliated with pesantren (Indonesia’s traditional academies of Islamic studies), seem happy to embrace the spirit of the book, and speak frankly (or at least listen to others speak frankly) about the issues it raises. It’s a lively discussion, provoking a lot of questions, giggles and sometimes raucous laughter from participants.
On masturbation
The event was organised by the executive
