Rethinking women’s empowerment in Indonesia: A Marxist feminist analysis of UN Women’s institutional engagement

Women's empowerment in Indonesia faces structural inequalities, unpaid reproductive labor, and unequal access to resources. In this context, the relationship between UN Women's institutional involvement and changes in women's material conditions requires critical examination. This study analyzes UN Women's efforts to promote gender equality in Indonesia through policy advocacy, violence prevention, and economic empowerment. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, it examines institutional publications, government documents, and media reports through document analysis and thematic coding. Source triangulation was used to enhance trustworthiness, and findings were interpreted through a Marxist feminist lens. Three areas of involvement emerged. First, advocacy and partnerships supported gender-responsive planning, policy accountability, and evidence-based studies to protect women. Second, public campaigns and violence prevention involved community mobilization, digital literacy, documentation, and access to information on protection. Third, economic empowerment involved entrepreneurship and digital skills training, strengthened corporate commitments to gender equality, and the development of productive skills through business partners. Across these areas, UN Women contributed through facilitation, capacity building, and partnerships, with varying roles across initiatives. However, documentary evidence was insufficient to establish the programs' direct effects on women's material conditions. The study offers a critical cross-sectoral synthesis that distinguishes UN Women's contributions from its partners' activities and clarifies the evidentiary limits of empowerment outcomes. From a Marxist feminist perspective, control over resources and the division of reproductive labor are key dimensions in evaluating women's empowerment.