How many female DPR members were elected from 1999 to 2024?
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Constitutional Court (MK) has issued at least two rulings regarding female representation in politics following the 2024 general election.
First, in Decision No. 169/PUU-XXII/2024, the MK ruled that all parliamentary bodies (AKD), including committees, Consultative Body (Bamus), special committees (Pansus), Legislative Committee (Baleg), Budget Committee (Banggar), Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Body (BKSAP), House Ethics Committee (MKD), and House Management Body (BURT), must include female representation.
“Granting the requests of Applicant I, Applicant II, and Applicant IV in full,” said MK Chief Justice Suhartoyo while reading Decision No. 169/PUU-XXII/2024 during a hearing at the MK building in Jakarta on Thursday, 30 October 2025.
In the final ruling, Suhartoyo emphasised that all AKD leaders, including committee chairs, MKD, Bamus, Baleg, Banggar, Pansus, BURT, and BKSAP, must ensure at least 30% female representation.
“Committee chairs, Legislative Committee, Budget Committee, BKSAP, House Ethics Committee, and BURT consist of one chairman and up to four deputy chairmen, appointed from and by members of the respective committees, bodies, and commissions based on the principles of deliberation for consensus and proportionality according to the number of members from each faction, with at least 30% female representation,” Suhartoyo stated.
Secondly, the MK set penalties for political parties that fail to meet the 30% female quota when submitting candidates for the DPR, provincial DPRD, and regency/city DPRD in elections.
“Given that penalties for participating political parties in elections have been enforced in practice, to ensure the spirit of Article 28H paragraph 2 of the 1945 Constitution is fully realised in the DPR/DPRD candidate lists, political parties failing to meet the minimum 30% female quota must face strict penalties,” said MK Justice Adies Kadir while reading the court’s reasoning on Monday, 25 May 2026.
Following these rulings, questions arise about the number of female DPR members across each election period.
According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), a total of 553 women have become DPR members from the 1999 to 2024 elections.
In the 1999 election, 44 women were elected to the DPR out of 500 total members.
In the 2004 election, 65 women were elected from a total of 550 DPR members.
In 2009, 100 women were elected to the DPR for the 2009-2014 term, from a total of 560 members.
Female DPR membership rose significantly in 2019, with 120 women from 575 total members.
In the latest 2024 election, 127 women were elected to the DPR out of 580 total members.