Leadership of Women in Local Politics: A Study of the Three-Selection of Women Regents in Kendal Regency

The purpose of this study was to reveal the phenomenon of the change in leadership of three different women as regents in Kendal Regency which occurred sequentially. The object of the analysis is the pattern of the political shift phenomenon in Kendal in the 2000-2015 period, namely the emergence of Nurmakesi, Widya Kandi Susanti, Mirna Annisa as Kendal regent. This research is classified as a mixing method that combines library research with interviews with selected respondents. The analysis technique uses the Parsonian functional analysis method to reveal political, economic, social, community fiduciary systems, and also government. This analysis technique is used to identify the shift in paternalistic patterns that exist in Kendal due to the strengthening of the issue of feminism and changes in the political constellation in Indonesia, and to describe the relationship between power theory and network theory and exchange theory. The results of this study indicate the existence of a paternalistic pattern of strength which then gives rise to the strength of the oligarchy. However, the loss of the egalitarian nature of the paternalistic pattern has led to the collapse of oligarchic domination. Popular support for the incumbent regent decreased, and instead shifted to newcomers. This shift in support was triggered by the desire of the community to make Kendal district better.