Pusat Studi Wanita (PSW) UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta didirikan pada tanggal 5 Desember 1995 berdasarkan Surat Keputusan (SK) Rektor  No. 128, tahun 1995. PSW pada mulanya berawal dari sebuah Kelompok Program Studi Wanita (KPSW) yang dibentuk pada tahun 1990 dan secara struktural berada di bawah koordinasi Pusat Penelitian dan Pengabdian pada Masyarakat (P3M) IAIN Sunan Kalijaga, sebelum transformasi IAIN menjadi UIN pada tahun 2004. Berdasarkan SK tiga menteri (Menteri Negara Urusan Peranan Wanita, Departement Pendidikan Nasional, dan Departement Agama) maka pada tahun 1995 Pusat Studi Wanita didirikan di Institut dan Universitas Islam yang berada di bawah Department Agama, termasuk di IAIN Sunan Kalijaga. Universitas Islam Negeri diharapkan menjadi pendukung utama terwujudya pengarusutamaan Islam yang progressif dan moderat di Indonesia. Dengan skema inilah PSW bertujuan merealisasikan misi untuk mempromosikan kesetaraan gender di Indonesia. PSW bekerjasama dengan civitas akademika di lingkungan universitas-universitas Islam dan pemangku kepentingan dalam masyarakat Muslim, seperti Hakim agama, pimpinan partai Islam, Kepala madrasah dan para pimpinan organisasi Islam.

 

Dalam rangka melaksanakan misinya, PSW mendorong dan mengembangkan wacana akademik dan keilmuan tentang berbagai masalah perempuan dengan menggunakan kerangka kerja Islam yang progresif dan kontekstual. Pendekatan Islam menjadi keharusan dalam rangka mengakomodasi perubahan-perubahan yang terjadi dengan cepat dan seringkali dipandang menantang serta mengancam tradisi Islam. Pendekatan yang progressif diharapkan dapat menengahi di satu sisi tuntutan era modern, dan di sisi lain secara otentik tetap Islami, karena relasi gender yang Islami merupakan bagian dari modernitas yang harus secara sistematik dipromosikan dalam konteks Indonesia. Pendekatan inkuiri yang comprehensif digunakan dalam rangka mensintesakan Islam yang tekstual dengan perubahan-perubahan sosial yang ada, khususnya relasi gender yang tanpa bisa dihindari berubah sebagai akibat dari meningkatnya pendidikan dan semakin luasnya akses perempuan dalam pendidikan, politik dan berbagai bidang lainnya.

 

Dalam rangka meningkatkan pelayanan dan kegiatannya, PSW menyelenggarakan berbagai penyesuaian terkait dengan orientasi institusional maupun program. Sejauh ini PSW telah mengalami empat periode perkembangan. Perkembangan pertama adalah periode konsolidasi (1990-1995) yang dipimpin oleh Dra. Susilaningsih, MA dan periode pembentukan institusi (1995-2001) yang mengantar KPSW menjadi sebuah Pusat Studi Wanita yang mandiri. Periode ketiga (2001-2006) adalah periode penguatan institusi yang dipimping oleh Dra. Siti Ruhaini Dzuhayatin, MA dan peride keempat  dengan direktur Dr. Ema Marhumah, MPd yang bertanggung jawab untuk menjaga reputasi dan kompetensi PSW dalam rangka mencapai tujuan yang dicanangkan yaitu: keadilan gender dimana perempuan dan laki-laki mendapatkan akses dan kesempatan yang sama untuk dapat memenuhi hak-hak asasi mereka.

 

 

 

Brief History

The center for Women's Studies or Pusat Studi Wanita (PSW) at the Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University Yogyakarta was founded in 1995. The center evolved from a 'Study Group on Women' formed in 1990. It was initially coordinated by the Center for Research and Social Services (Pusat Penelitian dan Pengabdian pada Masyarakat) of the State Institute of Islamic Studies (or IAIN), before it was transformed into a State Islamic University (UIN) in 2004. Historically, the establishment of the Center for Women’s Studies at the university was part of the Indonesian government’s effort to enhance the status of women as mandated by the United Nations’ Decade of Women Initiative 1975-1985. The government of Indonesian has accommodated and incorporated gender perspectives in its Five Year National Develoopment Guide Lines (GBHN) since the early 1980s. In line with this program, there was an agreement between three government ministries, the State Ministry of Women’s Affairs (Menteri Negara Urusan Peranan Wanita), the Department of National Education (MONE) and the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MORA) in the late 1980s to initiate women’s studies centers in universities. The Women’s Studies Center in Islamic institutes and universities were established in 1995. State Islamic Universities are expected to provide major support for mainstreaming progressive and moderate Islamic teachings. Women’s Study Centers aim at accomplishing their mission to promote gender equality. PSW has initiated many academic and social servies programs to foster gender equality in the Muslim community.

In carrying out its missions, the Center has positioned it self to stimulate and develop academic discourse and scholarship on women’s issues within a progressive Islamic framework. The progressive approach aim to mediate the oft perceived conflicting demands of modernity and Islamic authenticity. A progressive understanding of Islamic gender relations is among those aspect of modernity which must be promoted vigorously and systematically. The center provides “a space” for those willing to dedicate their time and academic work to the promotion of harmonious gender relations in Indonesia.

The center has gone through four periods of development. First was consolidation efforts during the period (1990-1995) when the Women’s Study Group (KPSW) was then establishes within the University Research Center. Dra. Susilaningsih, MA acted as the coordinator of the group in this period. The second period was one of institutional formation (1995-2001) which allowed this working group to become a full fledged Center of Women’s Studies. This development had a significant impact on the larger institution. The involvement of yong faculty members most of whom were women’s right activist revitalized the Center. The combination of academics and activism broaden PSW’s networks which were previously limited to the government agencies such as MORA and the Ministry of women’s empowerment and the local government.

In this period, the Center began to have collaborative projects with the Ford Foundation and CIDA (Canadian Indonesia Development Agency). The third (2001-2006) period was one of strenghthening the institution. These efforts were directed by Dra. SitiRuhainiDzuhayatin, MA. This period was marked by the acquistition of suitable facilities; among them were permanent offices and a relatively comprehensive library. In this stage, the position of the Center as the feeder and the resource center for gender studies in Islam in Indonesia became stronger. In addition to the CIDA-IISEP project as the main partner scine 1996, the center has been able to extend its cooperative efforts to include DANIDA-Royal Danish Embassy, The Asia Foundation and AusAID. Through such cooperation the Center succeeded in establishing multistakeholder networks including Islamic organizations, Islamic judges, teachers at Islamic schools and other strategic agents to promote it’s mission. There have been national seminars, workshops and best seeling publications.

In 2005, under the auspicious of Royal Danish Embassy, the Center organized an International Seminar on Islam, Women and New World Order to mark its ten year anniversary.

In order to maintain its progressive mission the Center regulary undertakes institutional regeneration efforts by appointing a new director and new board members. Former boards members usually become the associate members who continue working for the Center. The new director, Dra.EmaMarhumah, MPd is responsible to maintaining PSW’a reputation and its competence in achieveing the desired goals: Gender Justice whereby men and women are entitled ewual accesses to opportunities in accord with their basic human rights.