The Aceh Peace Process

Involvement of Women


 The Aceh Peace Process
Involvement of Women

 

August 2006

A brief study based on interviews on women’s involvement in the peace

process and Recommendations to the parties of the Peace Agreement i.e.
the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)

A report by
Crisis Management Initiative

In collaboration with
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
and
Center for Community Development and Education (CCDE)
 Executive Summary
With signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on 15 August 2005 in Hel-
sinki, Aceh has a chance to create a fair, just and equal society after decades-long
conflict. Parties to this agreement - the Government of Indonesia and the Free
Aceh Movement - have been implementing its clauses with commitment, receiv-
ing praise from international community.
As men have been visible in the peace process, the Crisis Management Initiative
CMI was interested in establishing the status of women’s involvement and their
participation in developing the society and its governance. CMI, in collaboration
with the United Nations Development Fund for Women UNIFEM and the Center
for Community Development and Education CCDE interviewed representatives
of the Indonesian government, GAM leadership, Aceh Monitoring Mission, inter-
national organisations and, most importantly, Acehnese women and women’s
organisations to establish the status of women’s involvement in the peace pro-
cess so far, and to provide recommendations to the Peace Agreement parties on
enhancing women’s participation in decision-making processes.
 22 Women make Aceh more peaceful and more prosperous
The report found that women’s participation in the peace process has thus far
been limited. It was underlined that strengthening women’s involvement and
listening to their views and opinions will vastly benefit Aceh. First of all, it will
strengthen the process of building a society that can rely on peace. The “peace
enhancing” potential of women, seen to be the most neutral party to the conflict,
has not yet been utilised. Involving women will strengthen the economy, by ben-
efiting from the capacity and skills of more than half of the population. Involving
women is necessary if the process is to be democratic – especially considering
that women make up the majority of the Acehnese people.
Both GAM and the government representatives confirmed in interviews that
they wish that women were involved in implementing the Peace Agreement. The
report recommends that the Peace Agreement parties should establish regular
contacts with women’s organisations. They should also make special efforts and
provide sufficient resources to facilitate women’s participation in the peace pro-
cess more effectively. The parties need to make it publicly evident and that they
want women to be involved. GAM and the government should also request that
their external partners pay attention to women’s participation.
Contents
4 Executive Summary
8 Introduction
10 I Reading the Memorandum of Understanding
10 Constitution in the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia
11 Fair and Democratic Process
12 Peaceful, Comprehensive and Sustainable Solution
14 Creating Conditions for a Fair and Democratic Process
18 II Towards a Solution with Dignity for All
18 Peace brings freedom
18 Women were only marginally involved in the peace process
19 Women established a network
19 Women were hardly heard in developing the LoGA
20 Organisations do not seem to have many resources to support women
21 Women would like to be heard and to make decisions

24 III Government recognises the role of women
in the peace process
24 Ministry for Political and Security Affairs (Polkam)
24 Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Directorate for Human Rights
and Humanitarian Affairs
25 The Governor’s office
27 IV Expert Assessment on Women’s Involvement
in the Aceh Peace Process by UNIFEM
32 V Conclusions and Recommendations
 Abbreviations
AMM Aceh Monitoring Mission
BRA Badan Reintegrasi Aceh; Aceh Reintegration Agency
CCDE Center for Community Development and Education
CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women
COHA Cessation of Hostilities Agreement
CMI Crisis Management Initiative
Flower Aceh Organisation for Woman Activities for Rural Progress
GAM Gerakan Aceh Merdeka; Free Aceh Movement
GoI Government of Indonesia
JPUD Jaringan Perempuan untuk Damai;
Women’s Peace Network
JPUK Jaringan Perempuan untuk Kebijakan;
Women’s Policy Network
JPKK Jaringan Perempuan Korban Kebijakan;
 Women’s Network for Victims of Policies
KOMNAS Perempuan National Commission on Violence against Women
LoGA Law on Governing Aceh
MISPI Mitra Sejati Perempuan Indonesia;
Indonesian Women’s Partnership
MoU Memorandum of Understanding
RPUK Relawan Perempuan untuk Kemanusiaan;
Women Volunteers for Humanity
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNIFEM United Nations Development Fund for Women
“The peace MOU that we just signed is the best and most
effective vehicle to embody our dream, a dream to sail to-
gether in the same boat. A dream to reside together on the
same land and soil, so let’s start the new journey, sailing
together and living together on the same land, brothers
and sisters.”
Minister Hamid Awaludin,
Minister of Justice and Human Rights of the Government of Indonesia,
at the signing ceremony in Helsinki, 15 August 2005.

“There has been no peace in Acheh because there has been
no justice in Acheh. What we hope we have achieved with the
signing of this peace agreement is the beginning of a process
that will bring justice to the people of Acheh. Justice means
ensuring that the people have a voice and that they are lis-
tened to and their wishes are followed. This means the cre-
ation of a political system that encourages freedom of speech,
many opinions, and the ability to fully participate in and be
represented by that process. That is, ladies and gentlemen,
the only way to ensure peace in Acheh is through the imple-
mentation of a genuine democracy.”
Mr. Malik Mahmoud,
of the GAM leadership, at the signing ceremony in Helsinki, 15 August 2005.
 Introduction

As reflected in the speeches of the two signatories to the Aceh Peace Agreement national actors, and to hear the views and plans related to the future implementa-
in Helsinki on 15 August 2005, Aceh has a chance to create a fair, just and equal tion of the peace process. The Center for Community Development and Education
society – a society where its members can trust that they have a voice. (CCDE), an Acehnese non-governmental organisation, worked with CMI in creat-
Crisis Management Initiative CMI and its Chairman, President Martti Ahti- ing links with women’s groups and women in the field, and participated in most
saari, facilitated talks between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh of the meetings. UNIFEM, with decades long extensive experience in involving
Movement (GAM) to search for common ground to end the decades-long con- women in processes in societies, carried out an expert assessment on women’s
flict in Aceh. The agreement, known as the Memorandum of Understanding or involvement in the Aceh Peace Process.
MoU, outlined the promulgation of a new law for the governing of Aceh, rights to The government of Norway supports CMI both financially and substantively
political participation by all Acehnese residents, decision making power on the in this task of establishing the status of and strengthening women’s involvement
economy, the granting of amnesty to GAM members and political prisoners, the in the peace process in Aceh.
reintegration into society of former combatants, the establishment of a human
rights court and a truth and reconciliation commission for Aceh, and the estab-
lishment of an Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) by European and ASEAN contrib-
uting countries to monitor the implementation of the agreement.
The parties have remained faithful to the spirit of the MoU and have imple-
 mented its clauses with commitment. The international community has gener- 
ally been very impressed by the progress made. The commitment to peace by
both parties has been remarkable and has supported the atmosphere of trust.
As men have been visible in the Aceh peace process, CMI was interested in es-
tablishing the status of women’s involvement and their participation in develop-
ing the society and its governance. The questions CMI wanted to answer included:
What is the level of women’s involvement and how far are women’s views are
taken into account? Are the structures that are currently being created as a result
of the MOU such that they provide equal opportunities to men and women? Ex-
periences and research prove that peace processes benefit from the involvement
of women. It strengthens the implementation of a peace agreement and ensures
larger support to changes that will affect the everyday lives of people.
‘Women’s involvement in the implementation of the MoU’, refers to the con-
tributions made by women and women’s organizations, or their attempts to con-
tribute, to implement the provisions of the MoU and, more specifically, to trans-
late the provisions into practice.
CMI visited Aceh and Jakarta from 19-26 March 2006 to meet with people
involved in deciding on, implementing and monitoring the peace process, includ-
ing women’s organisations, the government of Indonesia, GAM, AMM, and inter-
 I Reading the Memorandum of Understanding their equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance
- Background thinking from international experience and promotion of peace and security. It confirms the need to increase women’s
role in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution. The
Security Council confirmed the need to implement fully international humanitar-
The MoU promises that: “The Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh
ian and human rights laws that protect the rights of women and girls during and
Movement confirm their commitment to a peaceful, comprehensive and sus-
after conflicts. The Government of Indonesia committed itself to implementing
tainable solution to the conflict in Aceh with dignity for all. The parties com-
this resolution in October 2000.
mit themselves to creating conditions within which the government of the
Acehnese people can be manifested through a fair and democratic process
Fair and Democratic Process
within the unitary state and constitution of the Republic of Indonesia.”
- lessons about creating a post-conflict society
For any process in Aceh to be democratic and fair, it must include women
and men alike. The majority of the Acehnese are women, according to informa- The period of transition after a conflict provides an opportunity to create a demo-
tion from the Governor’s office. The parties to the peace agreement have pledged cratic and equal society. The 2002 Human Development Report (UNDP) suggests
that they will not undertake any action inconsistent with the letter or spirit of the that key features of such a society include the following: a system of represen-
Memorandum of Understanding. This can only materialise if women are involved tation, with well-functioning political parties and special interest associations;
in decision-making processes concerning the future of Aceh. an electoral system that guarantees free and fair elections, as well as universal
suffrage; a system of checks and balances, based on the separation of powers
Constitution in the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia with independent judicial and legislative branches; a vibrant civil society, able
- International legislation and policies related to women’s participation to monitor government and private businesses and provide alternative forms of
10 political participation; a free, independent media; and an effective civilian control 11
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Wom-
over the military and other security forces.
en- CEDAW (1979) provides a framework for national debates and advocacy for
Countries can promote human development for all only when they have gov-
gender equality. It is a legally binding international convention on the rights of
ernance systems that are fully accountable to all people—and when all people
women in all fields. Indonesia signed it on 29 July 1980 and ratified it on 13 Sep-
can participate in the debates and decisions that shape their lives and urges the
tember 1984.
peacemakers to recognize that long, deadly civil conflicts completely transform
The Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 raised the im-
societies — whether through the displacement of local populations, destruction of
portance of women’s role in peace and development. Mrs. Mien Sugandhi, State
infrastructure or upheaval of traditional family and social networks. In war-torn
Minister for the Role of Women made a statement in this meeting on behalf of
societies women have often transcended their traditional gender roles in terms
Indonesia: “Speaking as a national delegation, we are of the view that the three
of family, work and community. The Human Development Report asks the peace
objectives of the conference namely Equality, Development and Peace are mutu-
negotiations and local leaders to take these radically changed realities into ac-
ally supportive and interdependent. Empowerment of women is imperative to
count. “Giving a greater voice to previously marginalized groups is not only mor-
achieve those objectives. We also believe that the empowerment of women re-
ally right, it is also practical.” 1
quires an enabling environment at community, national, regional as well as in-
In Aceh, in addition to the conflict, the tsunami has dramatically changed
ternational levels encompassing cultural, economic, political and social spheres.
family and social networks, and forced people to adopt roles unfamiliar to them
(…) Obviously, there will be no advancement of women without development and
before. It is unlikely that the Acehnese, and especially the Acehnese women,
no development without full and equal participation of women and men.”
would return to their roles and lives as before the tsunami.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted UN Security Council resolu-
tion 1325 in 2000. This resolution highlights the role of women in prevention
1 | Women, Peace and Security Study submitted by the Secretary-General pursuant to Security Council resolution
and resolution of conflicts and in peace- building, and stresses the importance of 1325 (2000), United Nations 2002.
 The 2002 Human Development Report acknowledges that “ending a war can
be as destabilising as war itself, and it is impossible to democratise political deci-
sion-making immediately. But there needs to be as much openness and participa-
tion as possible for peace and true reconciliation to take root—and for strengthen-
ing civil society and democratically minded parts of the population.” 2

Peaceful, Comprehensive and Sustainable Solution

- women’s participation brings benefits

A decision-making process is legitimate if it is inclusive. The Securing the Peace

document (UNIFEM October 2005) stresses the importance of a broad base of par-
ticipation to make sustainable peace and development possible. It argues that sus-
tainable peace is contingent on community-based involvement and ownership of
the peace process and that support for women’s participation in peace building
contributes to a society’s efforts to recover from violent conflict.3 In war, women are
activists, caretakers, providers and survivors. If women’s groups on the ground in
conflict areas are strengthened, they are better equipped to provide communities
hope, reaching out across barriers of identity, including clan, ethnicity, religion,
and political affiliation and helping people to transcend these. They break the lines
12 along which groups organize and mobilize for war against each other.4 13
Involving women brings many benefits to the peace process. Women infor-
mally monitor the implementation of the peace agreement through local net-
works and activities. For example, in Bougainville in 1998, women returned from
stability and reconciliation; their contribution can improve the quality of deci-
the peace talks to their communities and were reportedly the only leaders to
sions and thus the effectiveness of recovery efforts. At the UN Commission on the
initiate an information campaign for the public to comprehend the decisions of
Status of Women in New York on 7 March 2003 he said: “above all, we promote
the peace accord and the next steps in its implementation. Women can be an
women’s participation because women have an equal right to be involved in all
important ally in monitoring efforts, and steps must be taken to support and
decisions and because their input brings value added to all decisions.”
guarantee their participation.5
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has said that no other policy is more likely
The late Sergio Vieira de Mello, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
to raise economic productivity, or to reduce infant and maternal mortality than
and former head of the UN effort in Timor-Leste, stressed the remarkable impact
the empowerment of women. No other policy is as sure to improve nutrition and
that promoting the participation of women can have in peace building and de-
promote health, including the prevention of HIV/AIDS. No other policy is as pow-
velopment. He demanded increased attention to the implementation of Security
erful in increasing the chances of education for the next generation. And no pol-
Council resolution 1325, and particularly to the right of women to participate
icy is more important in preventing conflict, or in achieving reconciliation after
both in decision-making and in human rights activities. Women are a factor of
a conflict has ended. Evidence also suggests that women’s interests often differ
2 | Human Development Report 2002, UNDP, New York 2002. from men’s and, that woman who participate directly in decision-making bodies
3 | SECURING THE PEACE Guiding the International Community towards Women’s Effective Participation throughout
Peace Processes – UNIFEM October 2005. press for different priorities than men. Women are important agents for change.
4 | Statement by Noeleen Heyzer, giving the Dag Hammarskold lecture in Sweden in 2004.
5 | SECURING THE PEACE Guiding the International Community towards Women’s Effective Participation throughout
Their perspectives, experience and active involvement are, therefore, an essential
Peace Processes – UNIFEM October 2005. part of a peace-building process.
 The World Economic Forum study on “Women’s Empowerment: Measuring the
Global Gender Gap” (2005) confirms Kofi Annan’s statement as related to economic
issues. The study concludes that countries that do not fully take advantage of one
half of the talent in their population – that of women – are misallocating their hu-
man resources. At the Helsinki Conference in September 2005, Claros-Lopez, Chief
Economist of the World Economic Forum, said that the countries where women’s
participation is highest also tend to have the best economic performance.
The Securing the Peace document published by UNIFEM6 lists the benefits
of involving women in the peace process and how women’s participation can im-
prove the maintenance of peace:
- Women’s organizations persistently advocate for peace.
- Women often build a foundation for peace negotiations.
- Women can build ties among opposing factions.
- Women can increase the inclusiveness, transparency and sustainability of multilateral donors and NGOs.
the peace process.
- Women often complement official peace-building efforts.
- Women can foster reconciliation and provide an example for moving
society forward.
- Women often work to sustain the peace agreement at all levels.
14
Creating Conditions for a Fair and Democratic Process
- considerations on methods for involving women
In 2002 the UN Security Council encouraged UN member states to recognise the
vital role of women in promoting peace, particularly in preserving social order
and educating for peace. The Council encouraged its Member States and the Sec-
retary-General to establish regular contacts with local women’s groups and net-
works in order to utilize their knowledge of both the impact of armed conflict on
women and girls, including as victims and ex-combatants, and of peacekeeping
operations, to ensure that those groups are actively involved in reconstruction
processes, particularly at decision-making levels.7
The Security Council encouraged the member countries to develop clear
strategies and action plans with goals and timetables, on the integration of gen-
der perspectives in humanitarian operations, rehabilitation and reconstruction
programmes, including monitoring mechanisms, and also to develop targeted
activities, focused on the specific constraints facing women and girls in post-con-
6 | SECURING THE PEACE Guiding the International Community towards Women’s Effective Participation throughout
Peace Processes – UNIFEM October 2005.
7 | The UN Security Council Presidential Statement, 31 October 2002.
flict situations, such as their lack of land and property rights and access to and
control over economic resources.8
Women’s full and equal and meaningful participation must be promoted at
all levels of policy and decision-making, including in public service in the imple-
mentation of the peace agreement and subsequently in the post-conflict state.
The institutionalization of democratic processes is supportive of this goal. Build-
ing on the peace agreement, the steps to achieve this need to include:
• Adoption of proactive special measures targeted at women to ensure their
full and equal participation at all levels of policy and decision-making.
• Presentation of women as candidates for elected positions, including in
local, regional and national level elections.
• Provision of financial support and resources for women candidates, includ-
ing for leadership training, capacity building, including by bilateral and
• Inclusion, in legislation or terms of reference governing electoral funds, of ex-
plicit provisions to ensure to women full and equal access to such resources.9
The ultimate responsibility for implementing a peace agreement lies with its
signatories. The international community, however, also has a role to play in
15
maintaining gender issues at the forefront of their work, in accordance with
internationally agreed-upon norms and standards. Their efforts should sup-
port women’s organizations by establishing specific mechanisms and/or special
measures, as called for by CEDAW and Security Council resolution 1325 (2000),
to guarantee women’s full involvement throughout the implementation phase.
Such mechanisms can be realized via constitutional, judicial, legislative and elec-
toral reforms and by bodies established specifically to monitor the implementa-
tion of the accords. Moreover, key facets of the agreement, such as a timeframe
for implementation and the distribution of funds for reconstruction, must make
explicit reference to gender issues. The international community can back the
implementation process through training, gender-sensitive resource allocation,
support to women’s organizations and capacity building.10
8 | idem.
9 | The Expert Group Meeting on peace agreements as a mean for promoting gender equality and ensuring partici-
pation of women (December 2003).
10 | SECURING THE PEACE Guiding the International Community towards Women’s Effective Participation throughout
Peace Processes – UNIFEM October 2005.
 The Second All Acehnese Women’s Congress (Duek Pakat Inong Aceh II), in June
2005 gathered more than 400 women representatives from all 21 districts of
Aceh urging the Government of Indonesia and the GAM, inter alia, to “ensure
the participation of women in the Aceh peace process through a non-violent and
democratic approach.”11 The congress also led to a recommendation to establish
women’s spaces – known locally as balai inong - to permit women to participate
more in political, social, economic and cultural decision-making.12 UNIFEM pro-
vided support for convening the congress and has also adopted this recommen-
dation, which is expected to contribute towards consolidating the peace process.
The Women’s Policy Network The Women’s Policy Network JPUK has made
efforts to enhance women’s involvement in drafting the LoGA. JPUK has organ-
ised a focus group discussion of women activists to review the first draft LoGA,
carried out advocacy to promote a gendered understanding of the draft LoGA
and assisted women activists’ lobbying efforts in both Banda Aceh and Jakarta.
UNIFEM has provided technical and financial assistance to this work through
the local women’s organization Mitra Sejati Perempuan Indonesia (MISPI). Apart
from direct advocacy support to retaining gender provision in LoGa, UNIFEM is
also liaising with the local media to support Women’s Policy Network’s advocacy
efforts to understand women’s aspirations regarding the LoGA, and to publicize
16 17
women’s involvement in it.
On 12 june 2006 Acehnese women activists declared the Aceh Inong League
(Lina) in Banda Aceh. The league was established to accommodate political aspi-
Women in Aceh have been active and done part of the “homework” for the sig-
rations of Acehnese women. According to press statements, the league aims at
natories of the MoU. The workshop on: “Enhancement of Women’s NGOs” that
encouraging women’s participation in politics and at building the capacity by
was held on 15 February-19 February 2006 in Banda Aceh outlined the expected
providing training on practical and political skills to develop economic empow-
outputs as follows:
erment. The aim is also to restore the dignity of Acehnese women to what it was
• The existence of a network of women’s organisations that understand
before the conflict and to promote women’s self-esteem, reminding people that
women’s issues
Acehnese women were queens and leaders.13
• Plans for regular meetings and improved communications
• The initiation of dialogue between women’s groups and key stakeholders
in the peace process
• Improved understanding of the MoU and peace process so far among
women’s NGOs
• Enhanced capacity of women’s NGOs to educate their beneficary popu-
lations about the peace process and solicit information about women’s
needs
11 | UNIFEM, “Women’s Voices in Aceh Reconstruction: the Second All-Acehnese Women’s Congress”, pp.12.
12 | UNIFEM Aceh, “Programme Summary Report”, December 2005, pp.2.

13 | “Women’s political forum created in Aceh”, an article in Tempo Interactive on 13 June 2006.
 II Towards a Solution with Dignity for All
- The Peace Process as seen by women in Aceh
The following text is a direct translation of views, opinions, wishes and sugges-
tions provided by Acehnese women and women’s organisations in interviews
that CMI carried out together with CCDE. CMI and CCDE met with representatives
from eight women’s organisations as well as with women from the field. Altogeth-
er about 50 people participated in discussions with CMI during the visit to Aceh
from 19 to 23 March 2006. Women and women’s organisations were promised
that their names will not be revealed in this report to enable people to express
their views and wishes more openly. Views from GAM are also included in this
section.
Peace brings freedom
All the women and women’s organisations CMI met in Aceh said that maintaining
peace and making it long-lasting is a top priority for them. They also confirmed
that the same view is shared by the numerous women they work with in all parts
of Aceh Province. Women feel that with peace in Aceh they can have freedom
18
again: freedom to farm, to do business, to work and to travel. They are looking
forward to having more opportunities to express themselves freely in the process
of developing a peaceful Aceh. They wish to participate more in decision making,
especially in issues such as education or health.
Despite their positive attitude, women in Aceh said that they are worried
about peace. They feel they do not get enough information, and they are not in-
volved in processes related to peace. This reminds people of the bad experience
they had when the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) made in 2002 did
not hold, and the conflict worsened in 2003. Some women expressed concern that
developments in the peace process seem to benefit some people more than oth-
ers, and women are not among beneficiaries – even former female GAM combat-
ants do not benefit from the process.
Women were only marginally involved in the peace process
Women and women’s groups said that barring some activists and academics they
were not involved in the peace process. Women interviewed described that in
Aceh today most men and women think that it is not “a woman’s business” to
participate in discussions and decision making on issues related to society or
politics. This is the reason why GAM has also found it difficult to involve women.
Women’s organisations confirm that based on their discussions in the prov-
ince, women from different backgrounds and environments would still like to be
heard. Women would like to influence policies. After the Peace Agreement was
signed between the Government and GAM, activist women have made attempts
to have women’s voices heard in processes like law development or distribution
of donor assistance.
Women established a network
Women said that the main forum for their views on the peace process has been
the Women’s Peace Network that was established in December 2005 with the
purpose of women’s groups working together more closely, for women to get
more information about the peace process and to be better heard in the peace
process, and above all, to support development of permanent peace in Aceh. It
includes 26 organisations.
The network wishes to study what women know about peace and what their
understanding of the MoU is, as well as to find out how peace impacts the com-
munity, and what is the capacity, potential and needs of women. There is a plan to
give the results of the survey to the AMM.
The network also aims at socialising the MoU, at developing an understand- 19
ing of community rights, at strengthening and improving women’s participation
in the peace building strategy, and developing outreach materials targeted at
women for improving the capacity of women in the decision making process.
Women were hardly heard in developing the LoGA
Women told that only two women participated in the process of drafting the Law
on Governance of Aceh – the work supported by UNIFEM. These two individuals
also take part in the work of the above-mentioned network.
Women said that based on consultations with women’s organisations, they
proposed a list of 15 issues that should be included in the LoGA. Six out of these
15 issues were taken into account in the draft that was sent to Jakarta, the re-
maining 9 issues were left out.
Women’s groups discussed the law and gave examples on how some issues
could work. UNIFEM organised a meeting to discuss women’s participation in
drafting the law. Women’s groups reported that UNIFEM has promised to help
women’s efforts in the future to have their opinions taken into account in LoGA.
Since the LoGA was submitted to Parliament, activist women have met with
the Parliamentary Committee on the Law on Governing Aceh for the purpose of
 getting women’s views reflected in the law. Activist women have also written to
local newspapers to highlight their opinions and wishes. Women have a common
agreement on the need for specific laws that take women and children into ac-
count.
Women assured that they will continue monitoring the preparation and con-
sequent implementation of the law closely. Now that Sharia law is included in
the draft version of the law, women and women’s organisations are worried that
it will seriously limit freedom of women. Women don’t want to criticise Sharia
law in public as they are afraid that they would be seen as disrespectful to the
Islam. Women stress that Sharia law is not necessarily bad but it allows many
interpretations, and judgements are not always fair. Women said that they feel
that people are not equal in front of the law and that they have experiences and
examples that support this fear. Women are afraid that especially religious lead-
ers can make unpredictable judgments on women.

Organisations do not seem to have many resources to support women

AMM, which has the mandate to monitor the implementation of the peace agree-
ment, reckons that there has not been enough support to women’s groups and
20 there have not been sufficient efforts to ensure that women are involved in the
process. Due to resource limitations, AMM does not pay special attention to wom-
en’s participation in the peace process. AMM has worked to encourage different
organisations to go public with their opinions and views, including women’s or-
ganisations.
There was also feedback from the interviews with some women that they
do not have access to information and their views are not heard. The Ministry
of Women’s Empowerment, which has the mandate for women’s issues in the
Government of Indonesia, does consult women activists for their views. However,
women felt that this consultation should extend to all women-stakeholders, for
“ordinary” women to have their opinions heard.
The Governor’s office has a bureau for Women’s Empowerment as well as a
gender working group. This was seen to be a good practice. Limited resources,
however, were seen to be a constraint for the Bureau. This should be addressed in
order for the bureau to translate the data collected into tangible improvements
to women’s empowerment.
21
Women would like to be heard and to make decisions
All women interviewed said that they wish that their lives would become better
in Aceh. At the same time, they realise that many things remain gender biased.
For example, women feel that relief is distributed unequally, and that both the
government and the international organisations prioritise men.
Acehnese women wish that they would be invited to talk about the law, and
that they would have means and methods and platforms to express their views
so that they can be taken into account. Village meetings should involve women as
well. It is important to create a space where women are comfortable to speak.
Many of those interviewed reiterated that the majority of people affected by
the conflict are women. Also, the majority of the people displaced because of the
conflict are women. Internally displaced women have considerable challenges to
overcome: they have been in camps for many years. They have lost their hous-
es, land and other property. They have lost their rights. They are discriminated
against. They have noticed that they don’t get relief like other people do. Women’s
groups feel that displaced women cannot be involved now – other women need
to struggle for them too.
 Women also said that they see the land ownership as an important question.
In marriages, land certificates are solely in male names. There are hardly any
women who have land certificates in their names.
All women’s organisations confirmed that the understanding and informa-
tion on the Peace Agreement has not reached the majority of women so far. The
socialisation of the MoU must adopt new strategies to reach women. It was sug-
gested that to better understand the MoU, GAM and the military need to sit to-
gether in villages and create a “real, concrete MoU”, for example by personally
making the promise not to continue fighting and terror anymore, and by explic-
itly apologising about what happened during the conflict. Women said that this
process would not need much money – it needs real people to make a real com-
mitment. A top priority for women is to maintain peace. Women confirmed that
people don’t want to be bitter about the past, but to get on with their lives in a
peaceful Aceh.
All interviewees confirmed that women want and need information, training
and encouragement to participate in meetings and in decision-making on the fu-
ture of Aceh. Both GAM and the government agreed that women’s active partici-
pation in implementing the Peace Agreement is highly recommended. As there
are no resources allocated for this purpose, both parties suggested that external
22
organisations support training of women.
to be taken into account. Women have the potential to be neutral promoters of
peace.
Women have local knowledge and local networks. If women are involved in
the peace process, they can keep peace at the village level as well. They teach
peace to children and to men in the family.
The interviewees strongly believe that women’s involvement will also benefit
Aceh economically as it will improve business and the economy: it is proven that,
in societies where there is more equality between men and women, the economy
fares better. For instance, when both husband and wife work, it improves the fi-
nancial situation of the family. The “brain potential” of involving women should
also be taken into account – the interviewer was told that women get higher
grades at university.
23

Women make Aceh more peaceful and more prosperous

The Acehnese women and men who were interviewed said that women have tra-
ditionally been involved in decision making in Aceh. The history books list prom-
inent Acehnese women that were admirals, queens and guerrilla leaders during
the colonial era and are now considered Indonesian heroines. The current peace
process discussion includes too much emphasis on the dress code (related to the
Sharia law) and not enough discussion on women being in the position to have
their views heard. Also, some people expressed the opinion that Aceh should
trust and believe in the fact that it has the right position in Islam. It does not
need to import trends, such as women wearing head scarves, from other Islamic
cultures. People praised Islam and said it is unique in Aceh; it could even serve as
an example to the rest of the Islamic world. Some interviewees stressed that the
Islamic culture allows women to be liberated.
There is a need to build understanding. Interviewees stressed that women’s
potential lies in the fact that they are the most neutral party to the conflict. When
building understanding, cultural components in peace and reconstruction need
 III Government recognises the role of
women in the peace process
CMI held discussions in March 2006 with parties to the peace process while
in Aceh and in Jakarta. The results of those discussions are presented in this
chapter.
Ministry for Political and Security Affairs (Polkam)
Deputy Minister Usman Bashya
Deputy Minister Usman Bashya praised the spirit of peace in Aceh. The will to
create and build a peaceful Aceh is the most essential tool in ensuring the suc-
cess of the peace process. It is important that people in Aceh support and want to
maintain peace. Women’s commitment in this is highly appreciated.
The government is aware that most of the victims of the conflict were wom-
en and that women are strong supporters for peace. The Deputy Minister con-
firmed that for the Indonesian government, the Ministry for Women ensures that
women’s concerns are also included in the Aceh Peace Process. The Ministry for
Women was also involved in drafting the LoGA. In addition qanuns (local regula-
24 tions) will ensure that the law is the same for everyone, for women and men.
The Deputy Minister mentioned that the Government would welcome sup-
port from the international community in strengthening women’s participation
in the implementation of the Aceh peace process, in coordination and collabora-
tion with the Government and other actors.
Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Directorate for Human Rights
and Humanitarian Affairs
Ms Wiwiek Setyawati and Mr Jonny Sinaga
For Acehnese, women have long been playing a very important role. Not only dur-
ing the struggle against colonialization, as exemplified by the famous national
heroine Cut Nya’ Dien, but even after independence, the role of women continues
to be a paramount importance in Aceh.
In Indonesia actually there exists a legislation (presidential decree) on gen-
der mainstreaming. There is a national machinery for the advancement of wom-
en in the form of the Ministry for Empowerment for Women that looks after the
implementation of women’s rights, supported by lower level machineries at the
provincial level in the form of bureaus in every Governor’s office in all provinces
of Indonesia.
The Indonesian Government is continuing the process of ensuring human
rights commitments in the development programs. The Law on the Administra-
tion of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, which has been adopted by the Parliament
recently will guarantee full implementation of women’s rights in Aceh in accor-
dance with the rights recognized by the international human rights conventions.
The suggested steps include:
1. Ratifying the international human rights conventions
2. Disseminating information to local governments of the ratified
human rights conventions and their harmonization with local regulations.
3. When awareness of the law exists, establishing coordination for
human rights for women. It would be a regional authority.
4. Nominating a deputy minister to be in charge of the promotion and
protection of women’s rights in a coordinating ministry.
It should be remembered that it is important that government officials are aware
of and understand the issue. Only after that can the information be disseminated
to villages, and only then can mechanisms be set up to involve women.
It is the Government’s duty to ensure that ratified conventions are enforced,
including the UN Security Council Resolution 1325. The Government would like
to ensure that the LoGA would take existing ratified international conventions 25
into account.
In the case of the LoGA there are mechanisms to ensure that the law treats
people equally. Qanuns (local regulations) should be strengthened and dissemi-
nated so that they give clear guidance on how that law should be interpreted. This
should provide equal treatment to everyone also in the case of the Sharia law. The
National Plan of Action on Human Rights has now provincial and council level lo-
cal committees that aim at ensuring that the law is the same for everyone.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs stressed that it is very important for the
government, that women and men have equal rights, also in Aceh.
The Governor’s office
The Governor’s office said that they consider the full participation of women very
important, especially as the majority of the Acehnese are women. However, one
should realise that women’s participation cannot happen so fast. Efforts have
been made to involve women: for example two out of the 24 members of the
Joint Forum are women.
The Bureau for Women’s Empowerment in the Office of the Governor hopes
that the Parliament pays attention to women’s views regarding the law. There are
 several ways to influence this: issues can be brought up in women’s networks and
in the working group on gender issues. It should be remembered that the law has
been put together within a very short timeframe – it has not always been possible
to consult all parties. Women need to be very active to be heard in that process:
women can write to newspapers, women need to speak in public (even if they
participate in seminars and meetings, women often don’t speak).
If resources allow, the bureau hopes to improve women’s economic and busi-
ness skills by training, including the provision of capital and life skills such as
sewing. The bureau also hopes to do work to empower women in villages. Specific
objectives are the elimination of violence against women and also actions that
help to take care of children.
The bureau collaborates with women’s networks on issues regarding the
LoGA. It will also be involved in the socialisation programme (Tim Socialisasi)
where the government and GAM are working with AMM to explain the MOU to
the Acehnese people. The intention is that women would also be aware of the
MOU. The bureau said that in Banda Aceh there have been several meetings with
women’s networks to provide information on the MOU.
26
IV Expert Assessment on Women’s Involvement
in the Aceh Peace Process by UNIFEM
The assessment carried out by UNIFEM found that women’s involvement in the
implementation of the MoU has thus far been limited. First, implementation of
the MoU is the responsibility of the parties that signed the agreement (or par-
ticular institutions as mandated by the parties14); namely, the GoI and the GAM.
However, there are few women working in positions within these two bodies that
can substantially contribute to implementation.15 Second, because the MoU is a
technical and politicised document with terms and concepts that still require de-
velopment, contributing to the process of developing these terms and concepts,
and then later their implementation, requires a substantial level of political and
legal knowledge and familiarity. This requirement has almost automatically ex-
cluded the vast majority of Acehnese women from the process as they largely
lack this knowledge and familiarity. Indeed, those women who have contributed
tend to be activists with a significant level of formal education and who are gen-
erally affiliated to an institution such as a university or NGO.16
The small number of women working in relevant institutions and the techni-
cal nature of implementing provisions of the MoU may explain the small number 27
of women involved in its implementation. However, interviews with a range of
stakeholders, including the women activists who are involved, the GoI, GAM and
Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM), indicate that the contributions of even these
women activists have also been limited. While there may be other factors, the as-
sessment identified the following as principal reasons limiting women’s involve-
ment or contributions to implementing the MoU.
First, cultural paradigms in Aceh have restricted women’s involvement in
the political sphere. Many Acehnese men believe that women do not have a role
to play in politics; a perception which limits the space afforded them. Interest-
ingly, many Acehnese women submit to the same gender constructions and are
therefore disinterested in contributing to the MoU’s implementation.17
14 | Such institutions include: the Provincial or National Parliaments, responsible for promulgating a new Law on
Governing Aceh (as per article 1.1.1 of the MoU); the GAM’s MoU Council (Majelis MoU GAM), responsible for imple-
mentation of the Peace Agreement; the GAM’s Aceh Transitional Committee (Komisi Peralihan Aceh, KPA), respon-
sible inter alia for reintegration; and the GoI’s Aceh Reintegration Agency (Badan Reintegrasi Aceh, BRA), also re-
sponsible for reintegration (as per section 3.2 of the MoU).
15 | Interview, XXX, AMM, DATE.
16 | Interview, Puspa Dewy, Solidaritas Perempuan Aceh, 25 May 2006. Dewy explains that peace for the majority
of Acehnese must be understood not in the terms outlined by the MoU, which for the average citizen remain intan-
gible, but instead in terms of physical security and the ensuing freedoms that entails.
17 | Interviews, Khairani and Siti Maisarah, Relawan Perempuan untuk Kebijakan (RPUK), 22 May 2006.
 A second factor identified by women activists is the failure to recognise the
need to address women’s rights as human rights by counterparts in the institu-
tions mandated to implement provisions of the MoU. For example, members of
the Women’s Policy Network that campaigned for the insertion of gender-sensi-
tive provisions in the draft Law on Governing Aceh (LoGA) asserted that male
Members of Parliament were reluctant to include such provisions because they
considered their focus on women to be negatively discriminatory to men.18 Wom-
en activists note that article 4 of CEDAW states that “temporary special measures
aimed at accelerating de facto equality between men and women shall not be
considered discrimination”, but point out that the prevailing leadership in those
institutions mandated to implement provisions of the MoU do not or are reluc-
tant to recognise this.
Third, women’s organisations cite exhausted capacity as a critical factor lim-
iting their involvement in implementing the MoU.19 A large array of issues is to
be addressed with regards to promoting women’s rights in the context of peace.
Yet women’s organisations are finding it difficult to undertake their important
grassroots activities, while also contributing to higher level policy discussions
and advocacy with regards to MoU implementation, due to a lack of human re-
sources.20 Adding to this is the fact that, as noted by some women activists, while
28
male counterparts in NGOs work full-time, a large number of women activists
contribute only on a part-time basis as they have other, especially family, obliga-
tions as well.
The Women’s Peace Networ21 will serve to strengthen the capacity of mem-
ber organisations by combining resources. However, it is new and has yet to fi-
nalise its objectives and strategy to promote women’s issues.
Women activists are quick to explain that Sharia ?Syariah law in Aceh is not,
in itself, a direct factor limiting their involvement in the MoU’s implementation.
However, the need to monitor the way in which Sharia law? Syariah develops and
is enforced - to ensure that women’s rights are protected - is further exhausting
18 | Interview, Arabiyani, UNIFEM, 18 May 2006.
19 | Interviews, Erwin Setiawan, Flower Aceh, 23 May 2006, and Puspa Dewy, Solidaritas Perempuan Aceh, 25 May 2006.
20 | Solidaritas Perempuan Aceh explained that financial resources are not the issue, as donors have channelled
more funds than the organisations’ capacity can absorb. The problem is a lack of human resources, particularly as
many qualified and committed Acehnese women have gone to work for international organisations since the tsu-
nami. Interview, Puspa Dewy, Solidaritas Perempuan Aceh, 25 May 2006.
21 | The Women’s Peace Network is a network of 25 Acehnese women’s organisations that have joined forces to strat-
egise ways to promote women’s rights within peace building efforts and women’s contributions to these efforts. The
Network was established in December 2005.
their capacity and, as a result, indirectly limiting their involvement in the MoU’s
implementation.22
Finally, the assessment identified the role of and contributions made by the
international community as a critical determinant in ensuring women’s involve-
ment and promoting the MoU’s implementation in a gender-sensitive manner.
Donor countries are important stakeholders. Their contributions and input can
enhance the ‘gender accountability’ component in the formulation and imple-
mentation of the MoU. This can be achieved by urging the parties to the MoU for
‘gender accountability’. For example, with regards to the LoGA, women activists
consider that the insistence by the Partnership for Governance Reform, a multi-
stakeholder facility funded by UNDP, the World Bank and others, for women’s
issues to be incorporated into draft versions was critical to the relative success of
these efforts.23 Women activists suggest that the international community may
play a much greater role in calling for gender mainstreaming within the imple-
mentation process.
Despite the above limitations, it is important to highlight the contributions
that women have made to the MoU’s implementation and to ensuring that wom-
en’s rights are represented in this process. The assessment found that women’s
contributions have largely occurred through the establishment of structures in
29
parallel to the various institutions mandated with the MoU’s implementation.
Examples of these parallel structures include the establishment of the
Women’s Peace Network mentioned above, the Women’s Policy Network (Jarin-
gan Perempuan Untuk Kebijakan, JPUK)24 and, most recently, the as-yet-untitled
network of women’s organisations strategising on the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission (as provided for by article 2.3 of the MoU).25 Information collected,
conclusions drawn and strategies developed in these structures are then chan-
22 | A number of women activists consider that the Wilayatul Hisbah (WH), the body mandated to monitor and
‘guide’ Muslims’ adherence to Sharia, has overstepped its authority, particularly when it detained a group of three
women activists on February 19th 2006 for allegedly not wearing headscarves in a public space. A group of these
activists are currently filing a claim against the WH and have established themselves as the Women Victims of Poli-
cies Network (Jaringan Perempuan Korban Kebijakan, JPKK).The term ‘policies’ was chosen to distinguish between
the policies and actions of the WH and the requirements of Sharia Law. Women activists point out that they are not
opposed to Syariah, which they believe confers rights upon women. Instead, they are opposed to the policies that
have been adopted by the WH to enforce Sharia.
23 | Interviews, Khairani and Siti Maisarah, Relawan Perempuan untuk Kebijakan (RPUK), 22 May 2006, and Erwin
Setiawan, Flower Aceh, 23 May 2006.
24 | The JPUK was established in 2004 to campaign for the revocation of a number of non-gender sensitive provi-
sions of the Law Governing Direct Elections. After the MoU, the JPUK focused its efforts on campaigning for gender
sensitive provisions in the draft Law on Governing Aceh.
25 | The women’s organisation Flower Aceh facilitated a seminar concerning the establishment of a Truth and
Reconciliation Commission and its implications for women that was attended by women’s organisations on 24 May
2006. The seminar was intended to mark the beginning of serious discussions among women’s organisations as to
the contributions they might make to ensure that the Commission’s establishment promotes justice for women.
 nelled to the AMM, GoI or GAM and advocacy efforts undertaken to encourage the Additionally, while not directly arising from the MoU, women’s involvement
Parties to the MoU to agree to the inputs provided. will be important in the drafting of qanun (local laws) that will detail provisions
In conclusion, there are a number of factors that have limited women’s in- of the LoGA once it is promulgated. According to one respondent, women activ-
volvement in the implementation of the MoU in Aceh. These limitations must be ists estimate that there will be an estimated 87 qanuns arising from the LoGA
addressed if women’s involvement – a critical element to ensure a sustainable that will have specific relevance for women.27 The existence and experience of
peace in Aceh, as argued elsewhere in this report – is to be enhanced. Neverthe- the Women’s Policy Network (JPUK) provides a strong entry point for women’s
less, women activists and women’s organisations are carving out a position for enhanced involvement in ensuring that gender is mainstreamed into the process
themselves from which, albeit in indirect ways, they are able to contribute to the of drafting these laws.
MoU’s implementation. Despite the limitations listed above, women are finding A third entry point for greater involvement is the existence of the National
creative means to ensure that their input to the peace process is heard. Women’s Commission (KOMNAS Perempuan) and its already active presence in
Due to their grassroots activities, women’s organisations possess substantial Aceh. KOMNAS Perempuan can contribute to women’s involvement by monitor-
information that is required to inform the effective implementation of the MoU. ing and evaluating the Parties to the MoU’s commitment to address gender is-
For this, among other reasons, it is important to enhance women’s involvement sues and ensure gender mainstreaming.
in its implementation.
The assessment identified a number of entry points for greater involvement
in the above and other provisions of the MoU. First, grassroots activities under-
taken by women’s organisations provide an effective entry point for enhancing
women’s involvement in implementing the above provisions as already estab-
lished links with local communities may be built upon to initiate other activi-
30 31
ties. Regarding article 1.2.6 of the MOU, promising full participation of all Aceh-
nese people to national and local elections, women’s organisations may utilise
their links with women’s communities to undertake women voter education pro-
grammes to promote women’s participation in upcoming elections. One women’s
organisation, Flower Aceh, has already undertaken such programmes.26
Concerning article 2.3, women’s organisations have been engaged early on
over the issue of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (see footnote 11). This
early engagement provides another strong entry point for involvement, includ-
ing on the implementation of article 2.2, concerning a Human Rights Court. Wom-
en’s organisations can capitalise on their early start to draft a clear strategy of
their expectations for the Court and Commission. The Women’s Peace Network, as
a unified voice of some 25 women’s groups, can provide a strong platform from
which to launch this strategy for consideration by the GoI in the establishment
of the two institutions.

26 | Interview, Erwin Setiawan, Flower Aceh, 23 May 2006. 27 | Interview, Pudji Aswati, UNDP, 17 May 2006.
 V Conclusions and Recommendations

GAM and the government are admired and appreciated by the international com-
munity for showing their strong commitment to peace. Both parties also agree
that women’s contribution to the peace process is important. Good performance
in implementing the peace agreement and efforts to ensure lasting peace can be
improved by introducing actions that enable women’s participation in the pro-
cess. The Aceh case could be used as an example to other peace processes around
the world also in this respect.
Women, representing the majority of the Acehnese thus also form the ma-
jority of the decision makers in a democratic system. It is not possible to set up
a democratic system and ignore the majority of the people. The future of Aceh
would benefit from women being more aware of developments and processes,
and having the means and the possibility to participate in these now. A solution
can be “peaceful, comprehensive and sustainable with dignity for all” if it is that
to men and women alike.
GAM and the government should make it more public and more visible that
32 they consider it very important that women are equally involved in the imple- 33
mentation of the MOU, and that they are aware that women’s contribution is
needed to attain lasting peace. To make the article 8 of the Security Council Reso-
lution 1325 a reality, the parties should make gender mainstreaming a strategic The Law on Governing of Aceh should also be socialised to all Acehnese,
priority in implementing the peace process, in particular by emphasising ‘the women and men alike.
special needs of women and girls… during reintegration and post-conflict recon- Women’s networks have on-going plans and actions to facilitate women’s in-
struction’ volvement and to express women’s aspirations. GAM and the government should
GAM and the government (both at the national and at the local level) could collaborate on a regular basis with these networks and women’s organisations to
inform their representatives at all levels on the importance of making an effort facilitate their own attempts to reach women.
to involve women in the peace process, recognising that additional methods GAM and the government should allocate more resources (including human,
are needed to enable women’s participation. In the spirit of CEDAW (Convention financial, technical and other resources) to ensure that women are fully involved
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women), the parties in the implementation of the peace process and the MOU. Based on the principle
should adopt a strategy for implementation of the MoU and for consolidating of affirmative action, the parties should utilise needs assessments conducted by
peace based on a principle of affirmative action to ensure women’s active partici- women’s organisations to allocate a set and generous proportion of funds, first, to
pation in all aspects of political, social, economic and cultural life. enhance women’s involvement in the peace process and, second, to compensate
GAM and the government are congratulated for their on-going efforts to so- women survivors of the conflict.
cialise the MOU to the Acehnese. They could check that the actions aimed at mak- GAM and the government should identify such methods of training, infor-
ing women aware of the peace process are reaching as many women as men, and mation sharing and opinion expression that can reach women and that are easily
if needed, these efforts could be enhanced. available to women. The current methods reach men much better than women.
 GAM and the government should provide training on women’s rights and
gender sensitive programming to all their staff involved in implementing the
MoU. Both GAM and the government should establish complaints mechanisms
and codes of conduct with clear and strong sanctions for staff found discriminat-
ing on the basis of gender.
GAM and the government should ensure that women are properly represent-
ed in all organisations and decision-making bodies that deal with issues related
to the implementation of the MOU.
GAM and the government could make specific requests to the internation-
al community to support the efforts of involving women. However, it should be
stressed that outside support should not be the main method of enhancing wom-
en’s involvement – showing, that this issue is a priority to both parties of the
peace agreement is very important.
GAM and the government should request that any actors supporting them in
implementing the peace process make special efforts to involve women.

34 35
 UNIFEM, East and Southeast Asia Regional Jln. Elang Timur No.  Blang Pieni Roobertinkatu B
Office, UN Building th Floor, Rajdamnern Cut Lueng Bata, 00 Banda Aceh 000 Helsinki
Avenue, Bangkok 000, Thailand Indonesia Finland
info.th@unifem.org ccde@aceh.wasantara.net.id cmi.helsinki@cmi.fi

36