Saparua Island, in rural Maluku province, has moved beyond the communal violence that plagued it over the last decade. On the surface, Saparua’s ethnicities and religions now co-exist supported by the continuing efforts of neighbors, families, community leaders, local civil society, and local government to live in peace. However, structural inequalities remain, especially relating to gender and the scourge of violence against women and children, a problem that SERASI grantee Yayasan Walang Perempuan (YWP) is actively challenging through a women’s empowerment and support program in four villages on the island.

The need for such programs is great. Apart from ruined infrastructure and reduced access to basic services (legacies of the conflict that tend to affect women in disproportionate numbers, as they are the main caregivers to families), gender-based violence at the household level has increased greatly in the post-conflict era. This problem of gender based violence has been compounded by the codification of traditional law (saniri) systems that have returned village authority in Maluku to negeri adat leaders—an inherited position that traditionally excludes women. The return of these traditional laws indicates a respect for indigenous people’s rights; paradoxically, however, those laws disfavor indigenous women’s rights, previously guaranteed under the New Order’s 1979 laws. YWP is leading efforts to empower women and make their voices heard in Saparua. The group has facilitated the establishment of women’s groups in four negeris where men occupying traditional positions are more open to the inclusion of women. During the first two months, these groups held several “Batori” (women’s discussions) where the groups identified and prioritized various concerns and problems of women related to the return to traditional structures. In the first Batori, the group at Nolloth village ranked domestic violence, youth fights compounded by alcohol abuse, and inter-community disputes as the most pressing problems.

YWP has taken these meetings and used the outcomes to comprehensively map conflict in communities and against women. The issues were then presented to local government agencies and the traditional rulers, as well as to the local musrenbang (village coordination and development meetings). YWP is now addressing identified issues through both facilitation between villagers, and economic empowerment of women, whereby women of differing ethnic and religious affiliations will work together in cooperatives that will receive grants and training. These are crucial steps to foster peace in Saparua where the territorial divisions of negeris based on religion have played a role in conflict. This exchange of women’s groups will also create a broader support network for women to share and increase their knowledge and open communication among women to advocate against, and solve, their own problems. Even at this early stage, women participants are saying that the greatest benefit they have received from the project is a sense of individual empowerment and collective responsibility.

SERASI is a USAID-funded project focused on creating stable, democratic communities. It is implemented by International Relief and Development (IRD).