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History does not progress linearly, opening space to question discourses and power dynamics in the hierarchy between men and women simultaneously. Therefore, this paper adopts a gender approach with a specific focus on the Leadership Labyrinth coined by Eagly and Carli to dissect the challenges of women’s participation and leadership in the public sphere. The historical background is traced from the 2nd century to the 21st century, divided into phases based on significant events, with attention to leadership, participation, and influence of women. Here, a pertinent question arises: how do women, facing diverse challenges, not only become subjects of development but also choose diverse platforms and discourses to demonstrate that their parity is not singular? Women are found to exhibit their leadership abilities as early rulers, gradually constricted to supporters of movements and homemakers. Subsequently, women successfully lead organizations, advocating for equal treatment, and their voices are included in decision-making at decision making levels. By employing the approach and a research methodology aligned with the study’s objectives, this paper aims to demonstrate that often-overlooked dimensions and perceived obstacles to women’s progress can be supportive factors in enhancing their leadership positions in society. Women are seen strategizing through non-violent means and utilizing domestic spaces, in addition to public spaces. In essence, women strategically organize using capacities and spaces under their control to advocate for their rights and beliefs. The variations resulting from the applied approach showcase the richness of this historical domain in offering an alternative framework for examining women’s leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conflict between the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Indonesian government since 1976 ended with the MoU Helsinki peace agreement in 2005. This peace agreement gave the Acehnese hope to experience comprehensive peace. However, peace is not fully realized. The peace agreement led to the transformation of a new conflict that affected the people of Aceh. This study aims to map the six recent disputes that emerged after the MoU Helsinki 2005 and analyze the existence of transactional politics in the six new conflicts in Aceh. This study shows two things using a qualitative approach and transactional political theory. First, after the MoU Helsinki 2005, Aceh experienced six new conflicts, namely: the transformation of GAM into a local political party; conflict and violence in elections; transitional justice conflict; the emergence of armed criminal groups (ACG); Sharia law conflict, and the emergence of Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front (ASNLF) as a counter-peace movement. Second, the emergence of these six new conflicts cannot be separated from the existence of transactional politics. Aceh's political elite always prioritizes transactions, patron-client relationships, and government power. The transformation of the conflict in Aceh caused the people of Aceh to continue to live in poverty and unsafe conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of voting in the West peppered with women's struggles to achieve a voice in politics. Gender and elections in a democratic system vary according to context. Still, gender equality and equity for women have always required the government's intervention. The feasible way to empower women and to ensure gender sensitivity has been to enforce rules and regulations. Nevertheless, women's political participation in Malaysia is still low due to power distances between genders resulting from a patriarchal system. However, we have to look beyond just numbers to assess the impact of women on politics. This article argues that though the number of female political representatives is low, their visibility should also be gauged from their behind-the-scenes contribution as party members. This study was drawn from the election campaign in 2018 using non-participant observation and secondary data to challenge the prevailing Western approach to gender studies. The findings show that some of the factors mentioned above are not necessarily the reasons for the sluggish appearance of women's participation in politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]