WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AFTER TSUNAMI DISASTER

BY P2TP2A PROGRAM FOR ACEH DEVELOPMENT

(CASE STUDY IN ACEH PROVINCE, INDONESIA)

Muhadam Labolo1, Zulkarnaen2, Prima Agung Palupi3 and Mughny Ibtisyam Rumbia4

Abstract. Women are an integral part of a public entity. Development by the government must take to involve the role
of women. The term of women in Aceh after the tsunami disaster in 2004 very bad. Low quality of education, lack of
productivity and weak economic capacity are the problems of Acehnese women now. This condition then
inviting the government to launch a strategic program which is Pusat Pelayanan Terpadu Pemberdayaan Perempuan dan
Anak (P2TP2A)/ Center Service for Empowerment Women’s and Child in the aim of giving the empowerment to
Acehnese women in various forms.

Based on that background, this study aims to knowing the condition of women in various aspects of Aceh after the
tsunami disaster in 2004, knowing P2TP2A role in the empowerment of women in Aceh, and to knowing any factors that
affect the implementation of P2TP2A program. Research about women empowerment after tsunami through P2TP2A
program on development of Aceh is a qualitative research using descriptive method with an inductive approach. Data was
collected by library research. Interview, observation and documentation. Library Research by studying and examining
the literature books, and make some direct communication with the local government of Aceh in particular the
Women Empowerment and Child Protection‘s office of Aceh, and to retrieve data from a variety of internet related
resources of various empowerment of Women in Aceh.

It can be concluded that the implementation of P2TP2A program still face many challenges in many aspects. The
programs that have been running continuously refined over time to maximize the achievement of the objectives P2TP2A.
To increase the success of P2TP2A needded to do some efforts such as infrastructure development and improving the
quality of P2TP2A’s resources.

Keywords: Women, Tsunami, Empowerment.

1. Introduction
1.1. Background
Empowerment is one of the functions of government are carried out to improve the welfare of society.
Empowerment done to foster good community independence in economic, political, and sociologycal.
Empowerment puts people not as objects of development, but as the subject of development that builds itself
supported by a variety of resources from the government and related parties.
Citizen is composed by various groups which are divided by a specific classification. Women are a part of
citizen that does not escape from the empowerment process. The role of women in each different area can be
seen through women’s role in public and government. Empowering women is very important to do because
women have equal rights and the same potential as men. Empowering women will be positively correlated
with an increase in the quality of future generations.
Tsunami disaster in Aceh has killed many victims in formal and substantive condition. The tsunami that
has hit Aceh in 2004 has killed as many as 129.775 people. Data shows that in the tsunami and storms, a
higher proportion of deaths are women than men5. Many female victims caused by several factors, one of that

1
Institute Of Local Government Affairs, Jakarta, Indonesia. Email: muhadamlabolo@gmail.com
2
Institute Of Local Government Affairs, Jakarta, Indonesia. Email: zulkarnaensela@gmail.com
3
Institute Of Local Government Affairs, Jakarta, Indonesia. Email: primaagungipdn23@yahoo.com
4
Institute Of Local Government Affairs, Jakarta, Indonesia. Emile: ibtisyammughny@yahoo.com
5
Wijaya, Astrid. Glasses 2014. Gender in Disaster. Source: http://www.pnpm-perkotaan.org (accessed on Tuesday,
September 15, 2015, at 14:44 pm)
is the ability of survival, many women do not survive as well as men so as to make his position increasingly
difficult to rescue them. Women’s expectation to be feminine and tied by various customs and local cultures
resulted in the existence of things that are considered appropriate and inappropriate performed by women and
men even though in urgency terms.
After tsunami, an Acehnese women term is very alarming. If the tsunami Aceh many women are
dominated by widows GAM-RI, after the tsunami many women loss of family, possessions, even identity.
Furthermore, during 2009-2010 the Unemployment Rate of women is still higher than men at around 10.12
percent6. Political participation active in government by Acehnese women are also fairly minimal. From 69
members of the House of Representative Aceh (DPRA), the representation of women as members in the
period 2009-2014 only four people (5.8 per cent), unchanged compared to the 2004-2009 period7. Acehnese
women condition in that case also invited all parties to participate actively in the economy development and
improving the quality of education for Acehnese women.
Acehnese women's condition now can not be allowed to be continuously in the status quo. They needed a
strategic action to rectify this situation. If there is no effort to change Acehnese women to be better, this
condition will decrease the quality of future Acehnese generations. The quality of future generations will
certainly impact to the future development of Aceh. The handling of women’s problems now will illustrate
how the face of Aceh in the future. Acehnese women also have a vital role in the establishment of quality
family. Good quality family can not be formed without improving the quality of women. The quality of
women's education is also a very important aspect for the nation’s development. Increased degree and position
of women as well as improving education’s access, opportunities in many ways and increase the women’s
ability in various fields. Women should take the role and position in any activities that exist in public.
Acehnese women should not only be in terms of quantity but also superior in terms of quality. In the current
era of globalization there is three major state development which free trade, the presence of communications
technology, and the disclosure. This development was no longer possible to detain Acehnese women in a
variety of traditional ties and various other things that impede. They are also required to empowering
themselves and realize the potential need of achievement (need for achievement). With such circumstances,
Acehnese women should ideally could be a complex figure, which is the feminine nature within the family
while maintaining softness, motherly attitude, and sincerity affection towards each other, but also can be
useful in the community with the achievements better than men.
In line with the paradigm of regional autonomy, the Minister of the Interior Indonesia Number 132 of
2003 on the General Guidelines for the Implementation of Gender Mainstreaming in Regional Development,
Local Government with Parliament, both at the provincial and district / city are expected to be proactive in
taking action so that regional’s development policies strongly consider women to gain access, control,
participation and benefits of all development activities in each region. Dynamic conditions in which men and
women have a balance of roles, rights, responsibilities, opportunities, the same position in the family, society
and development in order to give real effect for implementation of sustainable development. The Government
has also issued President of Indonesia Instruction No. 9 of 2000 on Gender Mainstreaming in National
Development, as a reference to maximize the potential of women in development. All of these conditions
would be achieved if the empowering of Acehnese women conducted consistently and continuously.

1.2 Problem’s Formulation

Based on the above, it can be the subject matter is the lack of the role and position of women in Aceh in a
variety of development activities in Aceh. The tsunami disaster are increasingly making the female population
of Aceh is significantly reduced. The low productivity and women's abilities in Aceh also become a problem
after the tsunami disaster of 2004. The problems of Acehnese women should receive priority in the
development agenda of empowerment efforts for being made to foster independence and improve the quality
of Acehnese women, both economic, educational, and social in order sustainable development of Aceh after
the tsunami disaster.

1.3 Research Purpose

This study aims to look at the condition of women in a variety of Aceh after tsunami disaster in 2004. In
addition, this study also intended to look and assess Pusat Pelayanan Terpadu Pemberdayaan Anak dan
Perempuan (P2TP2A) which focuses on the empowerment of women Aceh and its relevance to Aceh overall
development and provide solutions to various problems faced in the implementation of this P2TP2A program.

6
Data from BPS Aceh 2011. Source: http://aceh.bps.go.id (accessed onTuesday, September 15, 2015, at 15.00)
7
Ibid.
2. Theoritical Framework
2.1 Empowerment
Robinson explains that empowerment is a process of personal and social; an exemption of personal
ability, competence, creativity and freedom of action8. As for the interest in question boils down to the final
destination of the continuity person, group or community. Correspondingly, other sources statement that the
"Empowerment is helping clients gain power to take decisions and determines the actions that he would do,
related to them, including reducing the effects of personal and social barriers in action. This is done through
an increase in the ability and the confidence to use the power he has, among others, the transfer of power from
the environment9. "According to the statement, in the context of explaining that the role of government to help
people to gain power in determining their own actions carried out by the government. An important role in
empowering government as a facilitator who is ready to provide all the needs that people need to empower
themselves. For example: one access to power or empowerment of the people is through education. Here, the
role of government to provide educational facilities such as building schools and colleges.
Then the main approach to the concept of empowerment is that the public is not used as objects of
development projects, but is the subject of its own development efforts. This is in line with what was said by
Riant Nugroho, the purpose of the program empowerment of women is to increase women's ability to engage
in development programs, as active participation (subject) that did not just become objects of development as
happened during this time10. Based on this concept, the empowerment should follow the approach as follows;
first, the effort should be directed. It is popularly called partiality. This effort is aimed directly for needed,
with programs designed to tackle the problem and according to what they needs. Secondly, this program
should directly involve or even carried by the targeted community. Involve people who will be helped to
have some purpose, namely that the aid effectively because in accordance with the will, ability and needs. In
addition, while improving the ability of people with experience in designing, implementing, managing, and
account self-improvement efforts and the economy. Third, using a group approach caused the poor people
difficult to solve their problem alone.

2.2 Empowerment Woman

According to Riant Nugroho, the goal of women's empowerment program is to increase women's
ability to join in development programs, as active participation (subject) that did not just become objects
development as happened during this time11. Basically the essence of empowered women not in order for the
construction of state projects, but rather empowered to their self-development. Because of women has always
been considered as an individual who is under men in every aspect. Although at first the empowerment of
women put emphasis on their self-development, but this will impact the development state projects as a result
of the women's empowerment.
On the other hand empowering women is seen as a systematic and planned effort to achieve gender
equality in family life and society. The empowering women as human resources, the potential of women in
terms of quantity and quality is not under the man. But the fact still found that women's status and role of
women in society is still a subordinate and not as equal partners with men. As expected of women's
empowerments in this aspect are:
 Increase the position and role of women in various spheres of life.
 Enhancing the role of women as decision makers in realizing gender equality.
 Increase the quality of women's organizations role and independence by maintaining the value of
unity.
 Improve the commitment and ability of all institutions that fight for gender equality and gender
Fairless.
 Develop business women’s empowering, family welfare and communities as well and child
protection.

8
Robinson, Heljä Antola. 1994. The Ethnography of Empowerment: The Transformative Power of Classroom
Interaction. USA: Falmer Press
9
Risyanti Riza, Roesmidi, 2006. Pemberdayaan Masyarakat. Sumedang: Alqaprint Jatinangor
10
Nugroho, Rian, 2008. Public Policy. Jakarta: Elex Media Komputindo, pg. 164
11
Op.Cit
2.3 Center Service for Empowerment Women’s and Child / P2TP2A
Center Service For Empowerment Women’s and Child/P2TP2A is integrated in the Service Center for
Women's Empowerment efforts in various fields of development, as well as the women and children
Protection of various types of discrimination and violence, including trafficking in persons established by the
Government or community based. Aceh as a civil town also responsible for carrying out the above mandate by
the Office of the Women Empowerment and Child Protection, so that women and children victims of violence
receive appropriate protection and empowerment of minimum standards and eventually they can function
optimally and play a role in future development. The plot of this P2TP2A program is:

Service
Division

Education and
Advocation
Ivisions
P2TP2A Recomendation
Victim/Informa
Secretary
Empowerent
Division

PR and
Networking
Division

Source: P2TP2A 2014 Report

3. Research Design
Research empowerment of women in post tsunami through P2TP2A program on development of Aceh is
a qualitative research using descriptive method through an inductive approach. Creswell argues that
Qualitative research is descriptive in that the researcher is interested in process, meaning, and understanding
gained through words or pictures12. Further Creswell argues that qualitative research focuses on the process
that is occurring as well as the product or outcome. Researcher’s particulars are interested in understanding
how things occurs13. Data was collected using library research, interviews, observation and documentation.
Library Research done by studying and examining the literature books, and make relation with local
government of Aceh in particular the Office of the Women Empowerment and Child Protection Aceh,
searching any sources of information that related with the effort to empowering women in Aceh. Additionally
conducted indepth interviews with selected informants, both structured and unstructured. Interviews were
conducted with key informants from party leaders / Women’s activies, the local Women's Organization (Balai
Inoong) and the various parties involved in the empowering of women in Aceh. To strengthen the
documentation of data and observations made by directly observing the subject and the object studied.
Analysis of the data in this study using a method of analysis by Milles and Huberman which includes data
reduction, data presentation and conclusion14.

12
Creswell, John W. 2003. Research Design Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. USA: SAGE
Publications. pg 145
13
Creswell, John W. 1994. Research Design: Qualitative and Quantitative. London: SAGE Publications. pg 162
14
Milles, M.B. dan Huberman, M.A. 1984. Qualitative Data Analysis. London: Sage Publication
4. Result of Research
Aceh provincial as capital city of Aceh must not be a region that has a population in small amounts.
Before the tsunami disaster in 2004, the population of Aceh is 239.146 inhabitants. However, after the
tsunami in Aceh population of 177.881 inhabitants, there are 61.256 inhabitants were declared dead and
missing. In 2013 returned surveys conducted and recorded in Aceh resident has amounted to 249 282
inhabitants15. This illustrates that the state of the Aceh population has returned to its original state before the
tsunami. As the growth of population of the Aceh, should be examined whether population growth is directly
proportional to the quality of human resources is expected to rebuild Aceh after the tsunami disaster.
Departing from this research will be discussed qualities that should be possessed by the people of Aceh to
meet development indicators in Aceh. Relating to the empowerment of women to be included in the
framework of development in Aceh. Data related to Tsunami victims in one of the areas in Aceh:

TABEL I. TSUNAMI VICTIMS IN WEST ACEH

Pre- After Women who Men who

Name Tsunami Tsunami Survived Survived
Population Population
Gunung
Baru 242 123 39 84
Meunasah
Mesjid 1.110 159 45 114
Lamsenia 220 124 26 98
Deyeuh
Mapplam 4.500 270 79 191
Source: The tsunami’s impact on women, Oxfam Briefing Note. March 2005

Based on the above data exposure, explains that of the four area illustrates the dominance of the men who
survived from the tsunami. It can be concluded that the demographic situation in Aceh has decreased in
the female population. Female population decreasing would be a burden to be borne by Aceh. Because the
woman is one part that is included in the framework of development of a region.
Therefore to reorganize the population of Aceh After Tsunami Aceh there launched P2TP2A preprogram
(Pusat Pelayanan Terpadu Pemberdayaan Perempuan dan Anak) are present to facilitate the empowerment of
women empowerment efforts P2TP2A Aceh divides into three (3) parts:
1) Preventive Efforts
To facilitate efforts to improve the quality of life of Acehnese women in sectors of education, health,
religious /Islamic Sharia, economic, political, social and cultural, in coordination with relevant
agencies or institutions that organize these activities. Thus women as citizens and as resources for
the development of a region can develop themselves optimally with the knowledge and skills of its.
2) Curative Efforts
 Providing services receipt of complaints and reporting cases of violence against women. This
complaints services made to provide legal protection to women, related what others treated
against their.
 Facilitate health services for women. Health is a major factor for the survival of a person, in an
effort to empowerment, women needs to be serviced on health care because of the high rate of
women’s death are caused by a variety of health problems. This case can be seen from the data
issued by the Department of Health Aceh (2011) related to maternal deaths in Aceh are 193 /
100,000 KH.
 Facilitate woman psychological services
 Facilitate women provision of legal aid services and law enforcement
 Facilitate women service of ministry spiritual direction / religious.

15
Arif Ahmad. 2014. Traces of recurrence Tsunami in Aceh. Source: Compass News, Tuesday, December 23, 2014. At
15:59 pm
 3) Rehabilitative Efforts
 Provide long-term recovery services such as psychosocial recovery for women, such as:
Counseling, Support Group (support group), psych education to communities and social
rehabilitation.
 Conducting economic empowerment for women who needed economic recovery, through the
following activities: vocational training, entrepreneurship education (entrepreneurship), the
organization of business groups and others.
 Facilitate women education empowerment through advocacy and establishing coordination with
the organizer of formal education sector (public schools and Islamic boarding.

Source: P2TP2A 2014 Report

Figure 1. Sample of Distribution P2TP2A 2014

From data in the above table can be seen that the scope of Aceh has made women's empowerment
process that begin from various cases / problems encountered previously. Then, the data showed on Meuraxa
region has the highest cases of data handling and indirectly explains that Meuraxa needed most of
empowering women in the region. Besides that, the data shows Ulee Kareng is the lowest of handling cases
and show that women’s cases in this are very low.
In the implementation, P2TP2A’s model faced many obstacles. P2TP2A as government program still
has many shortcomings of many aspects. These deficiencies are the main factors that inhibiting P2TP2A’s
achievement of overall objectives. These inhibiting factors may arise from internal and external providers.
The constraints and inhibiting factors encountered in the implementation of P2TP2A’s model Aceh are as
follows:
1) P2TP2A that rely on government funding to meet many shortcomings in its operation. Although
there is funding from various parties but is still very limited and should be used in accordance
with the priorities, so there are several programs that had to be postponed because of limited
funds owned. Delays of this work program resulted in the accumulation schedule of women's
empowerment program cannot be implemented consistently because they have to wait for
funding from the provincial government. Lack of funds also affects the minimum wages
received by the facilitators P2TP2A so many P2TP2A programs are often run by volunteers
from the facilitators. Mobilization of any P2TP2A’s resources also often hampered caused by
very limited transportation
2) P2TP2A’s human resources still very limited so sometimes P2TP2A should determine which
cases should be prioritized to be addressed. P2TP2A still need experts in various fields such
as psychologists, consultants, and others. This lack of resources due to lack P2TP2A partners
with educational institutions. Human resources have minimal experience caused by due to lack
training and education for c building capacity of quality. P2TP2A’s human resources rely
heavily on volunteers from the students and practitioners in a variety of empowering activities
 and assistance in each case. It also result in the empowering quantity that very hard to be
continuously caused lack of human resources.

5. Conclusion
Instability development in Aceh after the tsunami disaster forced Aceh to strive to reestablish the
conditions and the atmosphere in the province of Aceh. The large number of casualties caused by the
disaster, making Aceh should prepare a flagship program to rebuild Aceh. Data sample show a huge
difference number of male and female victims. So that Aceh government should solve this problem, because
women as aspect of development of region. A woman as part of the development does not mean to eliminate
the role of men in implementation of region development. Women are human resources and development to
create the foundation of region development. From aspect of nature as women, the reason why women
become creators basis of a development that women do "triple of women", where women have to perform
functions reproduction, production and social function simultaneously on society.
However, the reality is women just considered as a complement of the man and did not need to be
included in the development on the grounds that woman is a weak creature. Basically, men and women were
created in a state of the same strength and ability, it's just influencing the perspective of today's society
related to the strength and ability of women is the environment and culture.
Therefore in order to accelerate the development of Aceh after the tsunami disaster is indispensable
participation of women in development. Diawli women's participation in empowerment of women
themselves. P2TP2A (Pusat Pelayanan Terpadu Pemberdayaan Perempuan dan Anak) is present as a
government program to accelerate the Aceh development Aceh after the tsunami. P2TP2A provide facilities
in an effort to empower women, such as providing empowerment; (a) Preventive efforts; (b) Efforts
Curative (handling); and (c) rehabilitative efforts (recovery and empowerment). P2TP2A program is
expected to Acehnese women can be empowered as well to foster selfreliance for himself that would be
beneficial to the surrounding environment. Acehnese women's empowerments are part of Aceh's
development in order to achieve national development goals as contained in the 1945 Constitution.

6. Advice
Various problems faced in Aceh women's empowerment through P2TPA should get the attention of the
various concrete solutions that can be implemented immediately. P2TP2A in an institutional perspective
should receive a variety of support. First, P2TP2A should be run by experts qualified in the field of
empowerment. Experts can be obtained through education and training that is prepared for the prospective
workers who will handle P2TP2A sustainable manner. Education and training programs for workers P2TP2A
must have a curriculum and training flow clear that the output of skills that will be applied to the
empowerment of women in Aceh who needs to run well. Secondly, financial support from the government
and all stakeholders should continue to be maximized in order P2TP2A can continue to run well and
consistently. With the funds available, the importance of infrastructure can be met so as to support the
performance of P2TP2A. Building, transportation, guides empowerment, education and training programs
for workers P2TP2A can run well if supported by adequate funding from all parties.

7. Reference
[1] Arif Ahmad. 2014. Traces of recurrence Tsunami in Aceh. Source: Compass News, Tuesday,
December 23, 2014. At 15:59 pm
[2] Creswell, John W. 2003. Research Design Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods
Approaches. USA: SAGE Publications.
[3] Creswell, John W. 1994. Research Design: Qualitative and Quantitative. London: SAGE
Publication
[4] Data from BPS Aceh 2011. Source: http://aceh.bps.go.id (accessed onTuesday, September 15,
2015, at 15.00)
[5] Milles, M.B. dan Huberman, M.A. 1984. Qualitative Data Analysis. London: Sage Publication
[6] Nugroho, Rian, 2008. Public Policy. Jakarta: Elex Media Komputindo
[7] Robinson, Heljä Antola. 1994. The Ethnography of Empowerment: The Transformative Power of
Classroom Interaction. USA: Falmer Press
[8] Risyanti Riza, Roesmidi, 2006. Pemberdayaan Masyarakat. Sumedang: Alqaprint Jatinangor
[9] Wijaya, Astrid. Glasses 2014. Gender in Disaster. Source: http://www.pnpm-perkotaan.org
(accessed on Tuesday, September 15, 2015, at 14:44 pm)