Navigating Patriarchy in the Digital Era: The Impact of Gender Stereotypes and Online Campaign Intensity on Female Candidates' Electability in Semarang
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21580/jpw.v8i1.31370Keywords:
Digital Campaign, Female Electability, Gender Stereotypes, Local PoliticsAbstract
This study investigates the dynamics of female electability in Indonesian local politics, situated at the intersection of patriarchal hegemony and technological acceleration. Methodologically, the research employs a quantitative explanatory approach involving 180 respondents. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression to evaluate the interaction between variables. The results reveal three fundamental findings. First, the Dominance of Digital Strategy in Mitigating Patriarchal Cultural Residues is confirmed, with the model demonstrating solid predictive power (R2 = 0.460$). This affirms that nearly half of the variance in voter support is determined by the effectiveness of digital campaigns. Second, a Shifting of Patriarchal Hegemony through Digital Performative Politics is observed. Statistical analysis highlights a sharp contradiction: while gender stereotypes continue to exert significant negative pressure (β = -0.342$), digital campaigns emerge as a superior positive determinant (β = +0.518$). This disparity signals an "algorithmic disruption," allowing candidates to transcend structural barriers.As a novel contribution, this research formulates The Digital Shield Framework and Strategic Mitigation of Gender Barriers. This framework offers a tactical roadmap for candidates to convert social capital into electoral incentives. The study concludes that the integration of digital intelligence functions as a primary "escalation ladder" to penetrate the glass ceiling, shifting the political landscape toward a meritocracy based on digital performance
Downloads
References
Aliya, E. R., Rahmatunnisa, M., & Chairiyah, S. Z. (2025). Women and Politics: An Analysis of the Factors Contributing to the Underrepresentation of Women and the Minimal Participation of Women in the Regional Elections of Banjarmasin City. Eduvest-Journal of Universal Studies, 5(11), 13992–14007.
Anggraini, D., Havifi, I., Sari, L. P., & Gunawan, A. (2024). Analyzing The Effectiveness of 30% Gender Affirmative Action Policy in Indonesia. KnE Social Sciences, 305–315.
Anzia, S. F., & Bernhard, R. (2022). Gender stereotyping and the electoral success of women candidates: New evidence from local elections in the United States. British Journal of Political Science, 52(4), 1544–1563.
Balachandra, L. (2020). How gender biases drive venture capital decision-making: exploring the gender funding gap. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 35(3), 261–273.
Banducci, S., Everitt, J., Gidengil, E., Banducci, S., Everitt, J., & Gidengil, E. (2025). Studying gender stereotypes of political candidates over four decades. European Journal of Politics and Gender, 1(aop), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1332/25151088y2025d000000086
Bauer, N. M. (2020a). Running local: Gender stereotyping and female candidates in local elections. Urban Affairs Review, 56(1), 96–123.
Bauer, N. M. (2020b). Shifting standards: How voters evaluate the qualifications of female and male candidates. The Journal of Politics, 82(1), 1–12.
Chikwe, C. F., Eneh, N. E., & Akpuokwe, C. U. (2024). Navigating the double bind: Strategies for women leaders in overcoming stereotypes and leadership biases. GSC Advanced Research and Reviews, 18(3), 159–172.
del Carmen Triana, M., Song, R., Um, C. T., & Huang, L. (2024). Stereotypical perception in management: A review and expansion of role congruity theory. Journal of Management, 50(1), 188–215.
Diehl, A. B., Stephenson, A. L., Dzubinski, L. M., & Wang, D. C. (2020). Measuring the invisible: Development and multi‐industry validation of the Gender Bias Scale for Women Leaders. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 31(3), 249–280.
Eagly, A. H., & Karau, S. J. (2002). Role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders. Psychological Review, 109(3), 573.
Eddyono, A. S. (2025). Trajektori Branding Politik di Indonesia: dari Kampanye Konvensional ke Politik Performatif di Media Sosial. Journal of Politics and Policy, 7(1), 18–39.
Feezell, J. T., Wagner, J. K., & Conroy, M. (2021). Exploring the effects of algorithm-driven news sources on political behavior and polarization. Computers in Human Behavior, 116, 106626.
Fellegi, Z., Hrbková, L., & Dubrow, J. (2023). Women’s political power: Global progress, persistent challenges. Women’s Studies International Forum, 101, 102818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2023.102818
Garzia, D., Ferreira da Silva, F., & De Angelis, A. (2022). Partisan dealignment and the personalisation of politics in West European parliamentary democracies, 1961–2018. West European Politics, 45(2), 311–334.
Hair Jr, J. F. (2021). Next-generation prediction metrics for composite-based PLS-SEM. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 121(1), 5–11.
Harry, B. (2024). Gender Equality in Politics: Challenges, Strategies, and Implications. In Gender Issues in Government and Management (pp. 139–164). IGI Global.
Hentschel, T., Braun, S., Peus, C., & Frey, D. (2021). Sounds like a fit! Wording in recruitment advertisements and recruiter gender affect women’s pursuit of career development programs via anticipated belongingness. Human Resource Management, 60(4), 581–602.
Kellerman, A. (2022). Social-spatial interaction, proximity, and distance: from face-to-face to virtual communications. Applied Mobilities, 7(4), 394–412.
Komalasari, N., & Agustin, M. (2022). The Role of Women in the Family as Mompreneur According to Islamic View. Yinyang: Jurnal Studi Islam Gender Dan Anak, 89–106.
Kusumarani, R., Majid, D., Parlina, A., & Nugroho, A. C. (2025). Digital Representation Of Women Politicians In Indonesia: Youth Perspectives And Self-Portrayal On Social Media. JWP (Jurnal Wacana Politik), 10(2), 4.
Lwamba, E., Shisler, S., Ridlehoover, W., Kupfer, M., Tshabalala, N., Nduku, P., Langer, L., Grant, S., Sonnenfeld, A., & Anda, D. (2022). Strengthening women’s empowerment and gender equality in fragile contexts towards peaceful and inclusive societies: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 18(1), e1214. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1214
Merma-Molina, G., Ávalos-Ramos, M. A., & Martínez Ruiz, M. Á. (2022). Gender stereotypes: persistence and challenges. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 41(7), 1112–1135.
Opoku, P. (2021). Women and Political Participation: A Comparative Study of Ghana and India. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3768023
Pas, D. J. van der, Aaldering, L., & Steenvoorden, E. (2022). Gender bias in political candidate evaluation among voters: The role of party support and political gender attitudes. Frontiers in Political Science, 4, 921252.
Sharma, A. (2019). Challenges Faced by Women Leadership in Politics. International Journal of Political Science and Governance, 1(1). https://www.journalofpoliticalscience.com/uploads/archives/4-1-5-990.pdf
Slothuus, R., & Bisgaard, M. (2021). How political parties shape public opinion in the real world. American Journal of Political Science, 65(4), 896–911.
Steffan, D. (2020). Visual self-presentation strategies of political candidates on social media platforms: A comparative study. International Journal of Communication, 14, 23.
Tremblay, M. (2007). Democracy, representation, and women: A comparative analysis. Democratization, 14(4), 533–553. https://doi.org/10.1080/13510340701398261
Tremmel, M., & Wahl, I. (2023). Gender stereotypes in leadership: Analyzing the content and evaluation of stereotypes about typical, male, and female leaders. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1034258.
UN Women. (2024, September 10). Why so few women are in political leadership, and five actions to boost women’s political participation | UN Women – Headquarters. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/explainer/2024/09/five-actions-to-boost-womens-political-participation
van der Pas, D. J. (2022). Do European media ignore female politicians? A comparative analysis of MP visibility. West European Politics, 45(7), 1481–1492. https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2021.1988387
Valjentova, T. (2025). Politics and self-presentation: how women in politics use social media to build public image. Revista Moldovenească de Drept Internaţional Şi Relaţii Internaţionale, 2, 138–149.
Van Der Pas, D., Aaldering, L., & Bos, A. L. (2024). Looks like a leader: Measuring evolution in gendered politician stereotypes. Political Behavior, 46(3), 1653–1675.
Wright, K., & Zhu, L. (2021). When Social Capital Becomes Political Capital: Understanding the Social Contexts of Minority Candidates’ Electoral Success in the American States. Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics, 6(2), 373–401.
Yahya, N. K., Warsoyo, A. D., & Ghani, I. M. (2024). Voting Behavior Patterns of Gen Z in the 2024 Indonesian Presidential Election in DKI Jakarta. Journal of Law, Politic and Humanities, 4(5), 1611–1625.
Yarchi, M., & Samuel-Azran, T. (2020). Women politicians are more engaging: Male versus female politicians’ ability to generate users’ engagement on social media during an election campaign. In Digital Media, Political Polarization and Challenges to Democracy (pp. 64–81). Routledge.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 JPW (Jurnal Politik Walisongo)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The copyright of the accepted article shall be assigned to the publisher of the journal. The intended copyright includes the right to publish the article in various forms (including reprints). The journal maintains the publishing rights to published articles.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
In line with the license, authors and any users (readers and other researchers) are allowed to share and adapt the material only for non-commercial purposes. In addition, the material must be given appropriate credit, provided with a link to the license, and indicated if changes were made. If authors remix, transform or build upon the material, authors must distribute their contributions under the same license as the original.





