Empowering women and advancing peace: A study of wahid foundation’s initiatives for inclusive social transformation in Indonesia

The main issue addressed in this study is the low participation of women in community-level development and peacebuilding, as well as the need for effective strategies to promote inclusive social transformation through women’s economic, social, and leadership empowerment in Indonesia. This research aims to explore the role of the Wahid Foundation in empowering women through the Desa Damai (Peace Village) program, examining how women contribute to development processes and peacebuilding in the program’s target communities. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, the study analyzes the activities of the Wahid Foundation and their impact on women’s participation in development and conflict prevention, illustrating how its programs intervene in women’s empowerment and peace promotion across various communities. The findings indicate that women’s empowerment programs not only enhance leadership capacity and policy advocacy among women but also contribute to fostering social cohesion and strengthening peace at the local level. The Koperasi Wahid Cinta Damai (KCD) program has successfully empowered women through entrepreneurship training and financial literacy, creating an inclusive and cooperative environment among community members. This empowerment not only increases women’s economic independence but also contributes to preventing social conflict and radicalization. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on community-based women’s empowerment by demonstrating that improving women’s economic and social capacities through the Wahid Foundation’s programs effectively strengthens social cohesion, promotes local peace, and prevents potential conflict and radicalization.