Women's Agency: Building and Sustaining Universal Peace

One of Indonesia’s riches is its diversity across religion, ethnicity, race, social groups, political ideologies, and culture. Diversity is a blessing for the Indonesian nation, but if not managed well it can spark conflicts, both horizontal and vertical. History shows Indonesia was built on the foundation of diversity of ethnicity, religion, and political differences among the founders. However, by uniting around the shared vision of freeing Indonesia from colonialism and realising justice and welfare for the people, differences become a strength. The principles of mutual respect for differences, justice, and prioritising deliberation through consensus are the keys to realising peace. DYNAMICS OF CONFLICT IN INDONESIA In the course of national life, the dynamics of conflict continue to occur. Various horizontal conflicts remind us that Indonesians indeed are diverse in religion, ethnicity, and tribe. The memory of horizontal conflicts after the fall of the New Order serves as an important warning for all citizens to keep fighting to promote peace from the community level to the national level. Differences that are not managed and uniformity have become the spark in the tinder, especially when stoked by disparities in economy and politics. In the New Order era, diversity was homogenised and reduced through government policy, creating a superficially harmonious order. The New Order conducted identity homogenisation across religion, ethnicity, and culture and ignored differences without providing space for dialogue and space to differ. Conflicts based on religion, ethnicity, and tribe emerged post‑New Order, increasingly entangled with economic and political issues. The emergence of conflicts with increasingly complex intersections in the democratic process in Indonesia became a problem we face and require mitigation strategies. The emergence of polarisation in society due to differences in presidential elections, regional head elections, legislative members, and even village elections is a fact that cannot be denied. In some cases, post‑democracy conflicts have led to violence and marginalisation of the ‘losing’ groups, and to barriers to participation in development; they are even treated as enemies. Hostilities are perpetuated in various forms. Next, conflicts in other issues, including resource conflicts, arise. The issue becomes more complex because it involves many actors and has vertical and horizontal dimensions. In that context there are economic, political, socio-cultural, gender dimensions, and it intertwines with identity. The same applies to conflicts around the world and in various countries, which surely also affect political, economic, and socio-cultural life. WHERE ARE WOMEN AND CHILDREN? The various conflicts that occur certainly create losses in various aspects of life. History shows conflicts have claimed lives, people have lost property, livelihoods, and access to education; environmental damage, infrastructure damage, and daily life disruption, as well as psychological trauma that disrupts their lives. Conflicts even cause displacement. In social relations, social ties deteriorate, there is insecurity and suspicion, intergroup tensions and potential escalation of violence. In conflict conditions, women and children become more vulnerable. Women are more susceptible to violence, including domestic violence, exploitation, and sexual violence. They also bear a double burden of work and family responsibilities, and access to education and health is disrupted, including for elderly women and adolescent girls. As a result, children also suffer similarly, experiencing psychological trauma, disrupted education, and vulnerability to domestic violence or sexual violence. Girls in particular are at risk of child marriage. Why are women and children the most vulnerable and suffering groups? Women and children, being more dependent socially and economically on men and other adults, have less power and access to resources, making them more prone to domestic violence or sexual violence. Compared with men, women and children have more limited access to life resources, including economic and educational access and health. They also have more limited mobility, so during conflicts they are more at risk. The gender order that places women in domestic roles, fully responsible for caregiving, and strong stereotypes as objects makes women more vulnerable and marginalised in policy‑making, both within families and in public spaces. CHALLENGES IN POST‑TRUTH ERA CONFLICT EMERGENCE The importance of promoting peace amid fragile economic, social, and political conditions—whether manifest or latent—is one reason behind Aisyiyah’s 109th anniversary theme: Strengthening humanitarian preaching to realise peace. Latent conflict, which is unseen, must be