Research Suggests Public Wants Women to be Strategic Actors in Peacebuilding

Jakarta, VIVA - A national survey conducted by the organisation Vanita Naraya indicates a shift in Indonesian public opinion regarding the role of women in conflict and disaster situations.

The public no longer sees women as passive victims, but as strategic actors in maintaining peace. Vanita Naraya researcher, Kunto Adi Wibowo, stated that the survey results demonstrate strong public support for women to take an active role in promoting justice and protecting human rights.

“The public strongly rejects the narrative of women as passive victims in social conflicts. Instead, the public gives a strong mandate for women to act as activists promoting justice and defending human rights,” said Kunto in Jakarta, Wednesday, February 25, 2026.

In areas with a high potential for conflict, Kunto said, women are increasingly perceived as drivers of justice and defenders of human rights. However, the level of public trust in women’s leadership varies depending on the type of crisis faced.

Kunto revealed that in the context of natural disasters, women receive the highest legitimacy as social leaders.

“In natural disaster situations, women receive the highest legitimacy as social leaders, with a figure of 21.5 percent,” he said.

“Conversely, this legitimacy decreases in social conflicts with political undertones. In such situations, women are still often placed in preventive roles, such as educators and peacekeepers,” said Kunto.

Furthermore, the research also highlights that the field of conflict has now shifted significantly to the digital sphere. In this context, women are considered to have an important role as a cultural early warning system.

“Women’s literacy skills, persuasive communication, and their role in family education are considered key to reducing misinformation and hate speech in the digital sphere,” he said.

However, Kunto believes that the high public expectations for the role of women are not yet fully matched by protection and policy support from the state.

“The public no longer wants women to be protected passively. Instead, the public wants women to be able to actively fight for human rights,” he said.

According to Kunto, the biggest challenge in implementing the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda in Indonesia is no longer about normative recognition, but policy transformation.