Indiah

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Starting Point

Indiah has been a long-time care worker at Rifka Annisa, a non-governmental organisation that prevents and responds to gender-based violence (GBV). Through her involvement with the organisation, she has found personal healing. Despite societal pressures to conform to traditional gender roles at home, Indiah is grateful to have a supportive partner who shares her perspective and understands the significance of her work. This mutual respect allows her to balance her professional responsibilities with personal well-being, transforming her experience at Rifka Annisa into a journey of self-empowerment.

Regarding the organisation she worked for, the name Rifka Annisa translates to "Women’s Friend" from Arabic. During its early years, it focused on domestic violence. However, realising the systemic nature of such violence, it recognises domestic violence as a form of GBV. Then, it acknowledged that intersectionality is inherent in the concept of such violence, which needs to be understood through an ecological approach. In this case, the advocacy must be engaged at the individual, family, society, state, and global levels.

Peace Journey

In carrying out its duty, Rifka Annisa includes staff and volunteers who are equipped with the sensitivity, knowledge, and skills to prevent and respond to GBV. The organisation has several practice groups, including psychology counselling, legal counselling, public relations, internal affairs, and knowledge management. Accompaniment is central to its mission, providing victims with psychological counselling, legal assistance, and psychosocial support, including access to shelters. Rather than dictating a specific course of action, it empowers survivors to make informed decisions based on their unique needs, helping them navigate the potential consequences of their choices. This flexibility ensures that victims feel in control of their healing process, making the approach profoundly personal and supportive. Its trained staff collaborates to offer a well-rounded response, integrating psychological, legal, and social care to support those affected by GBV.

In addition to providing victim support, the foundation actively engages in prevention and community education initiatives. Since the early 2000s, it has expanded its outreach to include Community-Based Crisis Centres (CBCC), aiming to raise awareness and strengthen shared values around healthy relationships. Understanding that many women seek to improve their relationships rather than pursue separation or legal action, it introduced a men’s counselling program in 2007. This initiative addresses toxic masculinity and promotes diplomatic conflict resolution, helping men, often influenced by rigid societal expectations, to better understand and manage their emotions and behaviours. Currently, it advocates mandatory counselling for perpetrators of GBV.

Success Stories

Rifka Annisa faced challenges like societal resistance in the early 1990s when terms like "domestic violence" were not widely understood and categorised as taboo. To combat this, they introduced terms like kekerasan dalam rumah tangga (KDRT), the Indonesian equivalent of domestic violence, to facilitate recognition and acceptance within legal and social contexts. This effort has made its initiatives more effective in creating a supportive environment for victims. The organisation also established the Forum for the Protection of Victims of Violence, successfully collaborating with the Yogyakarta government to provide free counselling for victims. Additionally, they are actively promoting mandatory counselling for perpetrators, aiming to address the root causes of violence and nurture long-term change within the community.

As Rifka Annisa has cultivated a supportive environment for victims of GBV, many women who have received assistance have become advocates themselves. Their healing journeys inspire them to share their experiences and recommend the organisation’s services to others. This peer support provides trust and encourages open dialogue about domestic violence and gender equality, breaking down barriers of stigma and taboo. By sharing their stories, these survivors illuminate the transformative impact of the organisation’s work, motivating more women to seek help and strengthening a resilient community of empowerment and solidarity.

In her role at Rifka Annisa, Ms. Indiah notes that it is essential to establish a supportive environment for women activists, which includes providing care to caregivers. This includes taking leisure activities during times of exhaustion.

Further, she notes that support from home is essential for women activists. Such support includes open communication with spouses and children regarding the work of women activists, which may affect their roles in the household. She also realises that support from home includes a separation between work and home. She gave an example of keeping her work private from neighbours so that she could engage with them without having to discuss her work, which might become an additional source of stress.