One Female Wong Pinter (Shaman) among Forty

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Abstract

A wong pinter is a traditional healer in Java, characterized by the ability to cure ailments or help solve problems without compensation, practicing ascetic behavior, avoiding bad deeds, and being a role model in society. Previous studies show that only one woman among nearly forty wong pinters have been studied. An interesting point to examine is why female wong pinters are much fewer than their male counterparts. This study explores the cause of the phenomenon and how it relates to feminism. The research method is conducted by tracing Javanese conceptions of women through a literature review. Analysis is performed by connecting these concepts with the findings on how a person becomes a wong pinter and the related activities undertaken. One of the findings is that becoming a wong pinter involves ascetic acts, such as tetulung (helping), which cannot be performed by most Javanese women. These acts are based on the basic provisions of Javanese ethics regarding the social position and ideals of women. According to the idea of feminism in Javanese society, the lack of female wong pinters does not mean that men have a higher social status, but rather that women are not dependent on men and that female wong pinters have a willingness to do good in a way that can match the goodness of their male counterparts.