‘Real Men Smoke?’: How Cigarettes Shape Masculinity in Indonesia
A boy lighting his first cigarette is more than a rebellious act—it signals his arrival into manhood. In many parts of Indonesia, especially in rural Java, smoking is not just a habit but a rite of passage. It is common for a boy to take his first puff during his circumcision ceremony, a deeply symbolic act marking him as “grown.” Meanwhile, girls are discouraged, even shamed, for doing the same.
Smoking in Indonesia is not merely a public health issue; it’s a gendered performance. Who smokes, when, and why reveals entrenched cultural beliefs about masculinity, femininity, and social hierarchy. While over 60 percent of Indonesian men smoke, fewer than 5 percent of women do. These figures are not coincidental—they are the result of cultural norms, strategic industry manipulation, and gendered expectations built over decades
Tobacco companies have long reinforced these divides, turning kretek (clove cigarettes) into icons of modern Indonesian manhood. Indonesia remains one of the last countries where tobacco ads are still widespread, linking masculinity with power, virility, and style. Billboards and TV screens across the nation depict cigarettes as symbols of strength and coolness, cementing their place in male identity.
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The industry uses aggressive marketing tactics that aim to hook young smokers early, as reported by WHO (2024). These campaigns often use digital platforms and youth events to skirt advertising restrictions. Indonesia now has one of the world’s highest teen smoking rates, with many boys lighting their first cigarette before turning 13, locking the habit in early.
For many teenage boys in Central Java, smoking is seen as a defining aspect of masculinity, with non-smokers often labeled as “abnormal” or “feminine.” As one boy put it, in a study published by Natural Library of Medicine (2019: “If I don’t smoke, I’m not a real man.” For many, the habit carries into adulthood. While marriage and fatherhood may encourage some to quit, they often do so quietly, as smoking remains a public act of masculinity, while quitting is private. Even wives, though usually opposed to smoking, are expected to stay silent, as pressuring a husband to quit is still seen as disrespectful.
This dynamic isn’t unique to Indonesia. Globally, cigarettes have long been branded as a symbol of masculinity. Starting as early as the 1960s, brands like Marlboro created a “cowboy aesthetic”, a man alone in nature, self-reliant, stoic, always with a cigarette in hand. This “style” of masculinity traveled, often with the help of global advertising agencies, and was adapted to local cultural tropes in places like Indonesia. What began in the U.S. as rugged frontier imagery has been localized into narratives of camaraderie and maturity in Indonesia. Marlboro’s lone cowboy becomes Djarum’s friendly older brother.
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Women and the double standard
While male smoking is normalized, almost celebrated, women face stigma for the same behavior. In focus group discussions across Java, girls who smoked were labeled “not respectable,” “prostitutes,” or even “transgender”. This taboo bleeds into public policy: anti-smoking campaigns aimed at women are often more socially acceptable and successful, despite the fact that men make up the vast majority of smokers.
This double standard is both cultural and structural. Tobacco companies largely avoid marketing to women, aware of the potential backlash. Meanwhile, women-led anti-smoking campaigns—like those backed by Muhammadiyah, which declared e-cigarettes haram in 2010—focus on protecting children and families rather than addressing gendered power dynamics.
What makes these efforts effective is their framing. Rather than directly challenging patriarchal norms, these campaigns position smoking cessation as a communal good. By focusing on protecting children and families, women assert influence in ways that align with cultural expectations, avoiding backlash while promoting meaningful change.
Still, such campaigns rarely confront the broader cultural myth equating smoking with masculinity. Without addressing these deep-rooted beliefs, even well-intentioned efforts risk falling short.
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The need for regulation
Indonesia’s weak tobacco regulation continues to fuel the crisis. While some cities have introduced public smoking bans, enforcement is uneven and rural areas remain largely unregulated. Tobacco companies exploit these gaps to keep targeting vulnerable groups, including children.
Real progress will require bold policy action: stricter advertising laws, higher tobacco taxes, a raised legal smoking age, and stronger enforcement. But policy alone won’t solve the problem. Campaigns must also challenge cultural associations between smoking and masculinity, offering healthier models of male identity centered on wellbeing, community, and family.
Encouragingly, there are glimmers of change. Community-based initiatives led by women, like house-level bans and “smoke-free home” pledges, have seen success. These interventions work best when framed as shared values, not personal criticisms, allowing women to influence change within existing gender norms.
If Indonesia truly wants to tackle its smoking crisis, it must confront both the chemical addiction and the social one. That means challenging the idea that cigarettes make the man and empowering women not just as supporters of cessation, but as leaders of a healthier cultural shift.
Sofia Shah is a U.S. State Department fellow who studies Indonesian culture and language. She researches Indonesian women’s economic participation and has been recognized by the Association for Asian Studies for her work. In her free time, she competitively debates on topics like international relations and theories of politics.
