Social Negotiation and Agency among Women Tourism Workers in Lombok
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24922/eot.v13i2.04Keywords:
women’s agency, social negotiation, empowerment, women tourism workers, gender and tourism, LombokAbstract
Tourism has expanded paid work opportunities for women in Lombok, Indonesia, but the conditions under which they are able to retain such work are poorly understood. This qualitative study examines how women tourism workers negotiate the restrictions they meet in their families, workplaces, and communities, and what these negotiations enable and cost them. Data came from semi-structured interviews, conducted between August and October 2025, with twelve women working in guiding, travel coordination, homestays, hotels, and food service, interviews with four key informants, and field observation. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The women described four kinds of practice: presenting themselves modestly, involving male relatives or avoiding night work, describing their work in religious or family terms, and contributing to village activities. These practices helped them keep their jobs and, in some accounts, gain recognition from neighbours and village leaders. They also carried costs, including lost income and dependence on relatives, and acceptance by others did not always mean greater control over earnings, mobility, or decisions. The study therefore distinguishes agency, social acceptance, and empowerment. It suggests that employers, tourism associations, and village institutions share responsibility for widening women’s options, so that securing acceptance does not rest on women alone.
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