An abridged version of this paper will appear in Yvonne Galligan and Manon Tremblay (eds), Sharing Power: Women in Parliament in Post-Industrial and Emerging Democracies, Ashgate, London, 2004

Indonesia’s transition towards democracy since 1998 has been welcomed by democrats around the world as an important gain in a worldwide shift towards democracy. The nation has now held two democratic parliamentary elections – the first in 1999 and the most recent in April 2004. Each of these elections was free from violence and deemed to be free and fair by Indonesia and international observers. Yet there remains significant questions about who is participates in and is represented by Indonesia’s new democracy. Importantly, few women have gained access to political power, either within national or local parliament, despite considerable debate and the adoption of strategies to increase the number of women in politics. This paper explores the ongoing barriers to women’s participation in parliaments in Indonesia against the backdrop the legacy of history – particularly New Order ideology, prevailing stereotypes and a particular interpretation of Islam.