Survival Ability And Mental Health Of Women Conflict Survivors In Aceh (1989–2005) A Reflection On Twenty Years Of Peace
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Two decades after the end of the armed conflict in Aceh (1989–2005), issues related to the mental health of women survivors remain highly significant. Military operations conducted during the periods of the Military Operational Zone (DOM), the Humanitarian Pause, Martial Law, and Civil Emergency generated profound trauma that shaped the chronicity of Acehnese women life experiences. This study aims to analyze the forms of survival ability developed by women affected by the conflict and their implications for mental health, drawing on Vigh’s (2008) concept of chronicity. This research employs historical literature studies and fieldwork based on feminist oral history through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) with 42 informants from Pidie, North Aceh, and East Aceh. The findings reveal that women experienced cumulative and multi-layered psychological trauma, manifested as Post-Traumatic Stress Reaction (PTSR), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and chronic depression at the same time, women developed survival abilities across four main domains: psychological, social, political, and cultural. The psychological domain is reflected in the optimization of spiritual and emotional coping through religious practices. The social domain is supported by children, families, relatives, communities, and assisting organizations such as Flower Aceh. The political domain is evident in women’s participation in peace movements, while the cultural domain is embodied in local wisdom, including meusare-sare, lullabies such as Dodaidi and Aneuk Yatim, literary works, and traditional dances. These finding confirm that survival abilities rooted in local wisdom and community support play a significant role in strengthening resilience and psychological well-being among women survivors of the Aceh conflict.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
References
Abdul, Manan, Abdul Hadi, and Rahmat Saputra. 2022. Fears to Tears: Kasus Kekerasan Pada Tragedi Rumoh Geudong, Krueng Arakundoe, Dan Jambo Keupok. Yogyakarta: Pale Media Prima.
Abdullah, Munawiah, Miftahul Jannah, Siti Rozaina Kamsani, Rashidah Binti Mamat, Nor Azlah Sham Binti Rambely, and Nurhazlina Mohd Ariffin. 2022. “Legal Protection and Family Resilience of Women Victims of Post-Peace Conflict in Aceh: A Study of Gender Approach.” Samarah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Dan Hukum Islam 6 (1): 56. https://doi.org/10.22373/sjhk.v6i1.12401.
Amna, Zaujatul, Dini Hari Santy, Dini Nurhasanah, Nayomi Aristo, and Siti Tamita Datachi. 2025. “Two Decades After Traumatic Events: Prevalence of Mental Health in Aceh Tsunami Survivors.” ANIMA Indonesian Psychological Journal 40 (2): E02. https://doi.org/10.24123/aipj.v40i2.6784.
Amnesty International. 2013. Time to Face the Past: Justice for Past Abuses in Indonesia’s Aceh Province. United Kingdom: Amnesty International.
Anum, F. 2020. “Pemberdayaan Ekonomi Perempuan Melalui Program Credit Union (CU) LSM Flower Aceh (Studi Di Kota Banda Aceh).” Skirpsi, Universitas Islam Negeri Ar-Raniry.
Barber, Brian K., Carolyn Spellings, Clea McNeely, et al. 2014. “Politics Drives Human Functioning, Dignity, and Quality of Life.” Social Science & Medicine 122: 90–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.09.055.
Boris, Vanteg. 2023. “Analysing the Effects of Trauma on Psychological Well- Being.” Neuropsychiatry (London) 13 (6): 1–2. https://doi.org/10.37532/1758-2008.2023.13(5).695.
Bottrell, Dorothy. 2007. “Resistance, Resilience and Social Identities: Reframing ‘Problem Youth’ and the Problem of Schooling.” Journal of Youth Studies 10: 597–616. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/13676260701602662.
Chan, Y. C. 2006. “Factors Affecting Family Resiliency: Implications for Social Service Responses to Families in Hong Kong.” The Indian Journal of Social Work 67 (3): 201–14. https://doi.org/https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/34547373952.
Dagnino, Paula, Cecilia Cordeu, Eduardo Franco-Chalco, et al. 2025. “The Impact of Different Adverse Childhood Experiences on the Dimensions of Emotional Dysregulation in Adults with Major Depression.” Frontiers in Psychology 16 (June): 1587042. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1587042.
Devakumar, Delan, Alexis Palfreyman, Amaran Uthayakumar-Cumarasamy, et al. 2021. “Mental Health of Women and Children Experiencing Family Violence in Conflict Settings: A Mixed Methods Systematic Review.” Conflict and Health 15 (1): 74. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-021-00410-4.
Duman, Yasin, Julie Meier, and Hatem Marzouk. 2024. “Beyond Survival: Transformative Impacts of Integrating Mental Health and Livelihood Support in Conflict Zones.” Journal of Peacebuilding & Development 19 (2–3): 158–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/15423166241293844.
Ensz, J., M. Ermler, H. Rabbani, Saunders, S. Baker, and Mohiyeddini. 2024. “Resilience—The Ability to Bounce Back!” Front. Young Minds, ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2024.1279405.
Florence, B., B. Ian, and T. Rachel. 2005. Mental Health and Conflicts: Conceptual Framework and Approaches. Washington. DC: World Bank. https://doi.org/http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/829381468320662693.
Giacaman, Rita. 2018. “Reframing Public Health in Wartime: From the Biomedical Model to the ‘Wounds Inside.’” Journal of Palestine Studies 47 (2): 9–27. https://doi.org/10.1525/jps.2018.47.2.9.
González-Uribe, Catalina, Antonio Olmos-Pinzón, Sebastián León-Giraldo, Oscar Bernal, and Rodrigo Moreno-Serra. 2022. “Health Perceptions among Victims in Post-Accord Colombia: Focus Groups in a Province Affected by the Armed Conflict.” PLOS ONE 17 (3): e0264684. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264684.
Good, Byron. 2025. “Reflections on Mental Health Work in Post-Conflict Aceh, 2004–2024.” Research and Innovation Speaker Series, Harvard Global Health Institute,. https://doi.org/https://globalhealth.harvard.edu/.
Hammoudeh, Doaa, Ernestina Coast, David Lewis, Yoke van der Meulen, Tiziana Leone, and Rita Giacaman. 2017. “Age of Despair or Age of Hope? Palestinian Women’s Perspectives on Midlife Health.” Social Science & Medicine 184 (July): 108–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.05.028.
Hasbullah. 2021. Peristiwa Pasca-DOM Di Aceh (1998–2000). Banda Aceh: BPNB Provinsi Aceh.
Indraswari, Dian, and Ruby Kholifah. 2024. Mutiara Yang Terpendam: Kisah Heroik Perempuan Pelopor Perdamaian. Jakarta: UNDP Indonesia.
Karim, Abdul. 2014. “Feminisme: Sebuah Model Penelitian Kualitatif.” Sawwa: Jurnal Studi Gender 10 (1): 83–98. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.21580/sa.v10i1.643.
Kastrup, Marianne C. 2026. “Mental Health Consequences of War: Gender Specific Issues.” World Psychiatry 5 5 (1): 33–34. https://doi.org/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1472268/.
Kontras. 2006. Aceh: Damai Dalam Keadilan. Jakarta: Kontras.
Kronsell, Annica, and Erika Svedberg. 2011. Making Gender, Making War Violence, Military and Peacekeeping Practices. London: Routledge.
Kusumawati, H. 2016. Trauma Dan Pemulihannya. Banda Aceh: Dakwah Ar-Raniry Press.
Luthar, S. S., and D. Cicchetti. 2000. “The Construct of Resilience: Implications for Interventions and Social Policies.” Development and Psychopathology 12 (4): 857–85. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954579400004156.
Mohaupt, Sarah. 2009. “Review Article: Resilience and Social Exclusion.” Social Policy and Society 8 (1): 63–71. Cambridge Core. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1474746408004594.
Mootz, Jennifer J., Florence Muhanguzi, Brenna Greenfield, et al. 2019. “Armed Conflict, Intimate Partner Violence, and Mental Distress of Women in Northeastern Uganda: A Mixed Methods Study.” Psychology of Women Quarterly 43 (4): 457–71. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684319864366.
Murthy, R. S. 2007. “Mass Violence and Mental Health.” International Review of Psychiatry 19 (3): 183–92. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/09540260701365460.
Murthy, R. S., and R. Lakshminarayana. 2006. “Mental Health Consequences of War.” World Psychiatry 5 (1): 25–30. https://doi.org/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16757987/.
Nina, H. 2020. Metode Sejarah. Bandung: Satya Historika.
Nuryanti, R. 2020. Perlawanan Dari Ayunan. Yogyakarta: Deepublish.
Reinharz, Shulamit. 2005. Metode-Metode Feminis Dalam Penelitian Sosial. Jakarta: Woman Research Institute.
Richter-Devroe, Sophie. 2013. “Palestinian Women’s Everyday Resistance: Between Normality and Normalisation.” Journal of International Women’s Studies 12 (2): 32–46. https://doi.org/https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol12/iss2/4.
Ruini, Chiara, Francesca Vescovelli, Grazia De Angelis, et al. 2026. “The Contribution of Emotion Regulation in Determining Individuals’ Profiles of Positive Mental Health.” Journal of Affective Disorders Reports 24 (April): 101053. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2026.101053.
Salelew, Endalamaw, Yohannes Awoke Assefa, Rediet Getachew, et al. 2024. “Magnitude of Psychological Distress and Associated Factors among War Survivor Women in Northern, Ethiopia, 2022: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Survey.” BMC Women’s Health 24 (1): 356. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-024-03161-5.
Samudra, Ma’ruf, Fuadi, Ahmad, and Setiyardi. 1999. “Kekerasan Dan Kampung Janda.” Tempo Data Science. https://doi.org/https://data.tempo.co/MajalahTeks/detail/ARM20180612130101/kekerasan-dan-kampung-janda.
Scheper-Hughes, Nancy. 2008. “A Talent for Life: Reflections on Human Vulnerability and Resilience.” Ethnos 73 (1): 25–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/00141840801927525.
Summerfield, Derek. 2000. “War and Mental Health.” British Medical Journal 321 (7255): 232–35. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.321.7255.232.
Sylvester, Christine. 2013. War as Experience. New York: Routledge.
UN Women. 2025. “Facts and Figures: Women, Peace, and Security.” UN Women. https://doi.org/https://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/facts-and-figures/facts-and-figures-women-peace-and-security.
United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. 2005. Gender Equality: Striving for Justice in an Unequal World. Geneva : UNRISD.
Veronese, Guido, Cindy Sousa, and Federica Cavazzoni. 2021. “Survival and Resilience Among Palestinian Women: A Qualitative Analysis Using Individual and Collective Life Events Calendars.” Violence Against Women 27 (6–7): 900–917. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801220914406.
Vigh, Henrik. 2008. “Crisis and Chronicity.” Ethnos 73 (1): 5–24. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/00141840801927509.
Xu, Yanhua, Yonghui Ni, Jiayan Yang, et al. 2024. “The Relationship between the Psychological Resilience and Post-Traumatic Growth of College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Model of Conditioned Processes Mediated by Negative Emotions and Moderated by Deliberate Rumination.” BMC Psychology 12 (1): 357. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01853-z.
Yunus, Muhammad. 2021. “Menjadi Janda di Kampung Janda: Narasi Historis Perempuan Korban Konflik di Pidie Jaya.” Jurnal Adabiya 23 (2): 177. https://doi.org/10.22373/adabiya.v23i2.10265.
Zahara, Amelia, Erlia Hanum, and Fauziatul Halim. 2023. “Lagu Meusare-Sare: Potret Menjaga Ketahanan Pangan di Aceh.” Jurnal Pendidikan Geosfer 8 (1): 135–48. https://doi.org/10.24815/jpg.v8i1.31964.