women and education in aceh

8/8/2019 Women and Education in Aceh

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WOMEN AND EDUCATION IN ACEH:

Post Conflict and Tsunami Period

By Satia Prihatni Zen, M.A

I. Introduction

Recent development in Aceh related to conflict resolution and rehabilitation as well as post

tsunami reconstruction has been applauded by its many stakeholders. These improvements

are also affecting women in Aceh. According to study conducted by UN Development Fund for

Womens (UNIFEM), women in Aceh now have better access to health and education and can

become decision-makers in the family (Jakarta Post, 02/15/2009).

This development is especially significant due to relative advancement of women in Aceh

before conflict and tsunami; it can even trace back to Aceh sovereignty in 15th century.

Based on historical account and literature, women in Aceh enjoy relative freedom and hold

significant public roles. In 16th century, Aceh Empire ruled by 4 queens subsequently and had

the first female military leader. Going forward to 18th and 19th century, Acehnese women also

actively involved in the struggle against Dutch colonialism, there were several women who

lead the movement and one in particular is being recognized as national heroine, Cut Nyak

Dhien. Those historical accounts also testified to Acehnese women advancement in education,

the roles women play in public could not be achieved without education.

Acehnese norms and culture is rich with evidence of womens prominent roles in society.

Islam which is one of the cornerstone of Acehnese culture is in fact ensure womens right and

position in society. In Eka Srimulyani and Inayatillah (2009), Reid (2006) stated: The Islamic

commitment, that all Acehnese feel is part of their identity, has never reduced the economicindependence of women, and in turn their relative autonomy. There are customs and

practices in Aceh which also ensure women status, although some of these customs are not

anymore widely practice nowadays. One practice noted by Robinson (2002), mention that

women economic activities are identified with finding rice (mita breuh), while mens are

identified with finding money (mita peng) (Eka Srimulyani & Inayatillah, 2009). This

practice signifies that land ownership and its production are done by women. In fact,

Acehnese womens equal ownership of land is the first in Indonesia.

However, changes in social relation between genders in Aceh cannot be avoided due to

several reasons. First, prolong military conflict in Aceh reduce womens roles in society dueto security reasons and intimidation. For example conflict affected parents decision in

sending their children to school. Although education access has never been segregated

between boys and girls, the common custom to send girls to Islamic Boarding School (Dayah)

during conflict is increased. This custom partly roots in cultural norm and partly due to

relative security that Islamic Boarding Schools can provide. However, many traditional

Islamic Boarding Schools has yet received accreditation from the government, resulted many

of the girls graduated from these schools have difficulties to find jobs.


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Second reason is New Order regime which emphasized homogeneous social relation between

men and women from various ethnics background in Indonesia. According to Eka Srimulyani

and Inayatillah (2009), this policy indirectly reduced Acehnese womens active roles in society

into those roles supporting their husband for successful development. Women were organizedinto various organizations based their husbands status as civil servants. These organizations

also used by government to ensure political participation to support the strongly-backed

government political party then, not only from men but also women which account to half of

the population. During this period, womens unique status in Aceh is rarely acknowledged,

similar situation also found in other areas in Indonesia.

After conflict and tsunami, women in Aceh face many changes socially and politically. Many

stakeholders in women movement were resurfacing and formed various women organizations

such as Liga Inong Aceh, Aceh Women League (LINA). This organization formed to assemble

women political aspiration as well as empowering women through workshop and training

programs. Another significant milestone is the holding of the second Duek Pakat Inong Aceh

in 2005 (Aceh Womens Rights Congress). One of the recommendations from the congress is

to press Women and children protection agenda in the local parliament resulted in the

creation of Law on Women and Children Protection as well as creating specific agency under

Local Government Office in Provincial and Regency level. There were also many publications

and literature published Acehnese womens current situation in various aspects of life that in

turn urge improvement on women roles and status, including in education.

II. Women Access to Education in Aceh

During conflict period, women in Aceh managed to keep their numbers high in education.Although conflict managed to destroyed schools in various parts of Aceh especially those

located in high intensity conflict areas, approximately 600 schools and affected about 55,000

students (AUSAID webpage, updated 25 January 2007). Then Tsunami devastated about two

thousand schools (2000 schools) and approximately 2600 teachers/lecturers were missing or

died. These events and others socio-political changes reduce many prominent roles that

women play in Aceh.

Generally, there are no significant barriers for Acehnese to participate in education for both

men and women. Recent statistics confirm that women participation in education is still

quite high if not higher after tsunami and conflict (refer to Table 1). Although educationquality in Aceh is still lag behind compare to other provinces in Indonesia. This is mostly due

to limited access from and to Aceh during military conflict and makes it difficult for educators

to have access to higher education as well other forms of professional development program.


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Table 1.Percentage of Students (2007-2008)

Educational

level

Male (Aceh) Male (National) Female (Aceh) Female

(National)

Elementary 50.43% 51.62% 49.57% 48.43%

Junior High 50.62% 51.02% 49.38% 48.98%

Senior High 41.59% 47.83% 58.41% 52.16%

Source: National Education Ministry Statistics

After tsunami hit Aceh in 2004 and peace memorandum was signed in August 2005, access to

Aceh is wide open and various agencies and donors were conducting program related to

education. Education is seen as the most strategic way to ensure peace building process will

continue as well as empowering future generation of Aceh including women. This is a very

strategic role to play for women in Aceh, because 59.61% of educators (teacher and

principals) are actually women. And the number of women working in education is higher

than men (Refer to Table 2). This higher percentage also due to the prevalent notion thatteaching is considered to be a womans job and it is rooted to Islamic teaching based on the

Prophet Muhammad SAW sayings that mothers are the first to be responsible for educating

their children.

Table 2. Percentage of Teacher and Principal (2007-2008)

Occupation Male (Aceh) Male (National) Female (Aceh) Female (National)

Teachers 40.39% 54.77% 59.61% 45.23%

Principals 98.78% 88.57% 1.22% 11.43%

Source: National Education Ministry Statistics

However this phenomenon does not apply in higher education, according to Inayatillah (2009)

in her study of Islamic Higher Education Institution in Aceh found there are more men than

women lecturers. Even in faculties where most of the students are women such as Faculty of

Education, men lecturers are still dominating. And similar trend can be found in leadership

statistics in most educational institutions in Aceh. Women in school leadership position,

which have strategic decision making authority, are still very small, 1.22% (refer to Table 2).

Aside from the fact that most institutions still employs traditional gender role division in

education where men hold administrative roles and women hold instructional roles. Some

findings from study conducted by Inayatillah (2009) and Raihan Putri (2003) in leadership in

higher institutions can be applied in other context including schools. The findings are:

a. Most women lecturers have lower academic qualification compare to their male

counterparts. This is due to partly women reluctance to continuing their study to Ph.D

or Doctorate or other professional development program and partly to womens double

burden from working and taking care of their family.


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b. Institutions formal policy related to career development of teachers and lecturers.

The policy in most institutions will be gender-neutral and assure that women have

equal rights to advance in their academic career, however womens double burden

makes it more difficult for them to involve in activities that will propelled them in

their academic ladder. For example several important adjustments need to be done

to consider women reproductive rights.c. Acehnese customs for men to gather and chat in coffee shops. Most institutions

possessed informal groups that will act as interest group when someone becomes

candidate for leadership position. In Aceh, most informal groups and relationships

formed and enhance through coffee shops meetings. During these meetings, which is

predominantly attended by male, where most information and lobbying happen.

Indeed coffee shops serve as very effective communication media in Aceh and often

being used to influence decision makings in many formal organizations. Women that

can form strong networking to these informal groups will be able to gain many support

in their candidacy.

In the same study, several coping strategies employed by women respondents such as gaining

support and positive communication with husband actually reduce much of the double burden

as husband share in household chores. Another common strategy employed is gaining support

and help from extended family which reduce women reluctance to pursue professional

development as childcare can be shared with extended family members. The traditional role

sharing may not anymore applicable when both husband and wife are entering professional

world and new role sharing methods need to be explore.

Women in education ensure that empowering future generation (men and women) can also be

done together with peace building processes. In 2002 the UN Security Council encouraged UN

member states to recognize the vital role of women in promoting peace, particularly inpreserving social order and educating for peace (CMI Report, 2006). Various programs to

improve professional capabilities of educators throughout Aceh have been conducted such as

training, workshop and scholarship for professional development and women participation in

such program is encourage. Meanwhile according to barber & Meyerson (2007) various

educational reform takes place nowadays emphasized the shifting of educational leadership

from administration-oriented toward instructional-oriented. This shift will provide bigger

opportunities for women with strong instructional background and experiences to be train and

take leadership role in educational institutions in general.

III. Conclusion


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Women in Aceh have many opportunities to develop themselves. After tsunami and prolong

conflict, women status in Aceh need to be re-establish. However they need to realize that

they will have to forge their own way in a world that is vastly different from their mothers.

Education has a very important role to play not only to empower women but also to create

society that will support women in any endeavor be it public or domestic one. Acehnesetraditional custom to send their daughter to school is still very much practice and it is one

significant contribution that kept women in Aceh survived through various extraordinary

events happened in their lives. This awareness is also one quality that will ensure Aceh

progress and peace in the future.

High number of women educators is also an asset to improve education if several

considerations can be made to support women participations. Women and men in Aceh needs

to work together to ensure the other half of the population can contribute significantly to

Aceh progress. Several important steps are ongoing such as women organization and meetings

to discuss women related problems and finding the solutions as well increase publications of

womens rights and progress. If the peace and the positive dynamics of women movement

continue, Aceh will benefit from varied perspectives and significant contribution from both its

men and women.

References:


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Eka Srimulyani & Inayatillah (Ed.) (2009). Perempuan dalam masyarakat Aceh: memahami

beberapa persoalan kekinian (Women in Aceh Society: understanding contemporer problems),

ARTI-LOGICA, Banda Aceh.

Inayatillah (2009), Kepemimpinan Perempuan dalam Lembaga Pendidikan Tinggi di Banda

Aceh: Peluang dan Tantangan (Women Leadership in Higher Education Institution in BandaAceh: opportunities and challenges), in Eka Srimulyani & Inayatillah (Ed.) Perempuan dalam

masyarakat Aeh: memahami beberapa persoalan kekinian (Women in Aceh Society:

understanding contemporer problems), ARTI-LOGICA, Banda Aceh

The Aceh Peace Process: Involvement of Women (2006). Crisis Management Inititative

Report,http://www.cmi.fi/files/Aceh_involvement_of_women.pdf

Aceh women still face huge hurdles after tsunami, conflicts. Jakarta Post, 23 February 2009.

Women Far better off in Aceh: Study. Jakarta Post,

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/02/15/women-far-better-aceh-study.html

Indonesia National Education Statistics, http://www.depdiknas.go.id/statistik

Barber, Margaret E. Ed.D & Meyerson, Debra, PhD. (2006). The gendering of School

Leadership:Reconstructing the Principalship School Leadership Study. Stanford Educational

Leadership Institute

A Review of the Position of Women in Aceh, International Development Law Organization,

April 29, 2008

Community & Education Program in Aceh,

http://www.indo.ausaid.gov.au/projects/cepa.html. Updated 25 January 2007.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/02/15/women-far-better-aceh-study.htmlhttp://www.indo.ausaid.gov.au/projects/cepa.htmlhttp://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/02/15/women-far-better-aceh-study.htmlhttp://www.indo.ausaid.gov.au/projects/cepa.html

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