Locating Working Class Women in Indonesia’s Halal Economy

Working-class women of the Muslim faith, who are among Indonesia’s most vulnerable and lack access to public healthcare and other services, have something to teach the powers that be about true Islamic governance.

Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo’s administration has undertaken several initiatives to boost the performance of the halal ecosystem and the sharia economy. Islamist proponents within the government are driving these moves to help the country’s post-pandemic economic recovery. As halal products and services take on a more capitalist slant, this might possibly exacerbate inequalities in Indonesia.

The idea of a halal economy, as an alternative to the Euro-centric or Western secular model of capitalism, is not new. Scholars have increasingly debated whether an Islamic conception of economy might be a suitable antidote for the ills of modern capitalism, which has arguably created a world rampant with inequalities. Whether described as a “sharia”, “halal”, “spiritual” or even “moral” economic model, this alternative must negotiate and co-exist with the reality and established structures of today’s global economy.