FROM THE MARGINS TO THE HISTORICAL NARRATIVE: Representation of Women As Subaltern Figures in The Grade 12 Indonesian History Textbook Under The Merdeka Curriculum

Abstrak

This study analyzes the representation of women as subaltern figures in the Grade 12 Indonesian History textbook under the Merdeka Curriculum. Using a qualitative literature review approach, the study draws on primary and secondary sources. The primary source is the first-edition Grade 12 History textbook for Senior High Schools/Islamic Senior High Schools (SMA/MA), published by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology in 2022. Secondary sources comprise scholarly articles on postcolonial theory and the concept of the subaltern. Data were analyzed using content analysis. The findings show that women receive greater representation in the textbook, including Ibu Ruswo, a public kitchen organizer during the Indonesian Revolution; Maria Ulfah Santoso, chair of Kowani; Dr. Sulianto Saroso, a physician involved in birth-rate control during the New Order; and Marsinah, a labor activist. The textbook also presents collective narratives of women’s contributions to health care, education, logistics, and social movements. However, women are not yet consistently positioned as central historical actors. From a subaltern perspective, women are acknowledged as historical subjects, but their individual voices and experiences remain insufficiently articulated. Such representation has implications for developing students’ gender awareness and historical thinking skills.