Jora: The Centrality of Gender Equality for Sustainable Development

Abstract

The paper is a semiotic study of Abidah El-Khalieqy's novel Geni Jora. Semiotics is definedwith reference to the study of signs and sign systems, and "signs" concern any things that stand for other things. The semiotic analysis used in this paper was adopted from Chandler's framework where he combines the Saussurean and Peircean concepts of signs and modes of relationship. The result of the semiotic reading of Geni Jora is that Jora, the main character of the novel, is a symbol, representingAbidah's resistance to gender injustice within Muslim circle in particular and in Indonesia in general. The novel symbolizes Abidah's concern about Indonesian (Muslim) women, who suffer from discrimination, injustice, abuse, and violence due to the stronghold of patriarchy. It also signifies her insistence, urging the people of Indonesia to seriously take actions to bring about gender equality and to provide women's quality education, without which Indonesia would not be able to make sustainable community and development happen.