Gender in Academic Journals: Experience From Indonesia

The literature on the gender gap in political science and international relations (IR) has increased significantly in the last couple of decades. However, little is known about how male and female scholars are publishing their works in non-Western-based IR journals. Our study aims to unpack this by examining publications and authorship patterns in IR journals published in Indonesia. The case study represents a non-English speaking country with pivotal roles in international politics and geopolitical aspects, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous nation and the third largest democracy, located between the Indian Ocean and the China Sea. The country is critical to regional stability and progress in Southeast Asia. Indonesia also has over seventy IR departments in various universities nationwide, and one professional association that aims to support teaching and research on IR. We asked whether men always outnumber women in terms of publishing academic papers. What is the pattern of topics published? And are there any shared interests between the two sexes? Using bibliographic data from seven IR journals published in Indonesia between 2000 and 2019 (N = 783), this paper highlights some key similarities with previous studies in Western societies. The findings suggest women produce fewer articles than men, and ‘gender homophily’ among men limits women’s leadership in scholarly publication. Yet, men and women shared equal interest in topics such as ‘security’, ‘military’, and ‘governance’, indicating that gendered preferences may not always be the best evidence to suggest that IR is a masculine discipline.