Between Adat Law and National Law: The Resistance of Sasak Women to Their Inheritance Rights in Lombok Indonesia

Abstract

This is a study of the conflict between customary law and national law in the Sasak community of Lombok, Indonesia, which focused on women's resistance to customary inheritance law which denies them inheritance rights. This research was conducted in several villages that are still strong in implementing customary inheritance law in the Sasak tribe; Sade hamlet, Teruwai village, Penujak village, and Bayan village. Data collection methods were conducted through documentation, observation, and interviews. In this study, it was discovered that the conflict originated from the patriarchal system of kinship and social relations in Sasak society. Sasak women, in a patriarchal system, did not receive fair rights in the distribution of inheritance. This is what triggers conflict between customary law and national law; inequality and injustice. For this reason, the resistance of Sasak women was carried out through the national legal process. This condition is a latent hazard that continues to threatens the stability of families and communities, and therefore requires a conceptual offer that can be accepted by all groups through a mediation process so that people continue to recognize their customary laws without having lost their national identity.