85 more Aceh women get counseling

BANDA ACEH, Aceh: The Aceh Women's Empowerment Bureau provided psychological counseling to 85 women on Friday, bringing the number of women who have received such counseling to 720.

The women are receiving counseling for the trauma they have suffered during the war between the Indonesian Military and the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Lailisma Sofiati, the chairwoman of the non-governmental organization, said an untold number of women in the province had been traumatized by the violence of the war.

She said that after receiving five days of counseling, the 85 women would be given Rp 600,000 (US$63) either to start their own home business or to purchase kitchen equipment. -- JP