Women’s empowerment and peacebuilding in Indonesia: An analysis of Wahid Foundation’s initiatives through Naila Kabeer’s empowerment framework

Siswoyo Aris Munandar; Mohammad Mu'tashim Billah

doi:10.35719/annisa.v18i1.312

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Siswoyo Aris Munandar Sekolah Tinggi Agama Islam Sadra, Jakarta, Indonesia
Mohammad Mu'tashim Billah Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

Women’s Empowerment, Peacebuilding, Agency, Peace Village, Wahid Foundation

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Women’s participation in peacebuilding programs does not automatically confer control over resources or decision-making influence. This study examines empowerment support, gender mainstreaming, participation, and the integration of economic peacebuilding through the Wahid Foundation’s Peace Village and Koperasi Cinta Damai (KCD) programs. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to analyze institutional reports, publications, and webpages. Thematic analysis was supported by cross-document checking and an audit trail. Ethical reporting maintained accurate attribution and evidence-based claims. Findings reveal: (1) women’s empowerment and gender mainstreaming through Peace Village encompass resource access, mediation, dialogue, advocacy, and local decision-making participation, alongside 14 village declarations and proposed integration of nine indicators into village policies; (2) participation and empowerment are supported through training, entrepreneurship, business groups, OVOP, working groups, and Peace Village Action Plans, with reported reach of 1,785 women entrepreneurs and establishment of 10 village-owned enterprises (BUMDes) holding IDR4.9 billion in assets in 2020; (3) empowerment through KCD integrates economic activities, organizing, and peacebuilding through microfinance, community organizing, and social entrepreneurship, involving 1,760 active women members, total loans of IDR3,637,452,700, and 73% membership growth. Economic, social, and institutional support creates opportunities for empowerment oriented toward peacebuilding. However, these indicators describe program reach and outputs without establishing resource control, decision-making influence, transformed power relations, or reduced radicalism. The study enriches the contextual applications of empowerment frameworks by distinguishing among resources, opportunities for agency, and evidence of achievements, while supporting gender-responsive evaluation of agenda-setting, proposal acceptance, resource use, and women’s participation in decision-making.

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