Women’s representation in Putri Senuro and Putri Hijau: Comparative literature for gender literacy education

This study examines the representation of women in two Indonesian folktales, Putri Senuro from South Sumatra and The Legend of Putri Hijau from North Sumatra, through the perspectives of comparative literature and feminist literary criticism. The study seeks to identify and examine the construction of female representation in terms of physical, psychological, and social dimensions, as well as to investigate the relationships between women, power relations, and the social environment portrayed in the two narratives. The comparative analysis also explores the potential of these folktales as literary learning materials for promoting gender literacy among students in the Indonesian Language and Literature Education Study Program at FKIP UNSRI. This study employs a qualitative descriptive method within a comparative literature framework. The data comprise words, phrases, sentences, dialogues, and narrative elements that depict the images, social positions, experiences, and actions of female characters in the two folktales. Data were collected through reading and note-taking techniques and subsequently analysed interpretatively by examining similarities and differences in the representation of women across the texts. Feminist literary criticism was applied to examine gender constructions, power relations, the positioning of women as both subjects and objects, and the forms of female agency manifested within the narratives. The findings reveal that both folktales portray women as figures characterised by beauty, courage, resilience, and considerable social status. Nevertheless, these representations are closely intertwined with prevailing social norms, power relations, and social interests that influence and, in some cases, constrain women's autonomy and freedom of action. Differences in cultural contexts further contribute to variations in the representation of women, particularly in relation to beauty, honour, personal choices, and power. The findings also demonstrate that folktales function not merely as expressions of cultural heritage but also as pedagogical resources that can facilitate students' critical understanding and reflection on gender constructions. Thus, comparative literary analysis can serve as a pedagogical approach for strengthening gender literacy while simultaneously fostering appreciation of Indonesia's cultural diversity.