by Gloria Truly Estrelita (Doctoral Candidate, CASE/EHESS/AlterSEA)

In this session, I elaborate on the intersections of women’s experiences, punk music, and the concept of “third space” within the Indonesian context. Punk is often understood as a subculture shaped by resistance to political authority, social norms, and economic marginalization—yet it is largely dominated by men. Within this space, women frequently encounter layered forms of oppression, including patriarchal control, moral regulation, and exclusion, both from mainstream society and from within punk communities themselves.

Using existing literature and documentary materials, I look at how Indonesian women engage with punk music as a way to navigate these constraints. I focus on everyday practices such as music-making, performance, style, collective organization, and the use of public space. These practices allow women to challenge authority, negotiate identity, and carve out spaces of autonomy. Rather than treating punk only as a musical genre, I approach it as a set of lived practices through which women attempt to create a “third space” beyond dominant social and gendered norms. I situate women’s punk practices within broader social and historical conditions shaped by postcolonial legacies, moral governance, and unequal access to public space. As this project is still at an early stage, I do not include primary interview data. Instead, I use this limitation as an opportunity to reflect on what can—and cannot—be known through secondary sources, and to discuss the ethical challenges and limits of representing marginalized communities in academic work.

Tuesday 3rd March 2026, from 2pm until 4pm

Room S.H3244
Building H3
ULB - Solbosch

Free entrance