‘Boys play soccer, girls watch on the corner’: Gendered play and spaces in Jakarta public playgrounds

Abstract

This paper draws on a qualitative case study conducted between 2018 and 2019 with 34 children aged 6–12 years in two designated child-friendly public spaces in Jakarta, known as Ruang Publik Terpadu Ramah Anak (RPTRA), in the communities of Cililitan and Rawa Badak Selatan (Rasela). This article illustrates ways in which children construct and embed their gender identities through play and within playground spaces. The findings of this study speak the geography and spatial organizations of the public playgrounds in Jakarta that nourish male hegemonic practices, which impacted girls’ participation in play. Interestingly, this hegemonic culture was also reinforced by both the physical features and social structures of the playgrounds. We argue it is time to design and inject gender-sensitive policy into public playgrounds, wherein all children can equally participate in play and access their playground spaces.