Empowering Women, Building Communities: The Merauke Women’s School

Mawar looked up at the brilliant sky above Kampung Matara, in Merauke, South Papua. “He loves white clouds. Maybe right now he’s looking at the same sky,” she whispered. She was speaking of her 11-month-old baby, taken from her arms months ago by her abusive husband. “Once my husband’s family paid the customary fine, they claimed that the case was closed and took my child,” she wept.

The tale of Mawar (not her real name) is sadly common in Papua. Women facing violence often find that traditional practices perpetuate a cycle of abuse and injustice, leaving victims powerless and unheard. In response to this harsh reality, a coalition of local organizations, supported by The Asia Foundation, established Sekolah Perempuan, the Women’s School, to break the cycle of violence against women in Merauke and empower victims like Mawar to reclaim their voices and fight for justice.

Breaking the chains

The Women’s School, part of the BERDAYA program, is transforming the lives of women across five villages—Matara, Yanggandur, Bupul, Kweel, and Tanas Village—in South Papua. BERDAYA is an initiative of The Asia Foundation, a five-year program funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (NZ MFAT). The program focuses on improving access to legal and social services for women in Papua, with particular attention to supporting victims of violence, while also addressing broader issues of community empowerment and gender equality. Initially met with skepticism, the Women’s School has since gained support from village elders, the church council, and local NGOs, becoming a vital community asset.

Acknowledging that efforts focused exclusively on reducing violence against women often fall short, the program employs a more holistic strategy. Because basic needs like food, clothing, and education must be met for women to thrive, the school promotes income-generating opportunities like farming groups while raising awareness about gender equality and the importance of collective action. By integrating economic empowerment initiatives like agriculture and small-scale food processing with education on gender-based violence, the program tackles deeper issues as well as the immediate necessities of women to foster a more just and resilient community.

In this multifaceted approach, roughly 20 women from each village participate in a series of interactive sessions designed to foster self-awareness, resilience, and community action. Using participatory methods such as creating community maps to identify areas where violence or other problems are a concern, exploring personal and collective histories through storytelling, and employing symbols like “stones and flowers” to express emotions, participants build confidence and communication skills.

Then, six women from each village pursue further training that divides them into three different roles. Two work as paralegals to provide services to women who are victims of violence; two others are enlisted to improve farming skills and develop home gardens to provide food security and offset the damage of deforestation in their neighborhoods; and a third pair work to develop a village database that includes demographic and gender-disaggregated data. This data empowers women with the evidence they need to speak up and participate in public decision-making.

Innovative use of technology

One of the most innovative aspects of the Women’s School is the integration of technology for data collection. Participants are trained to use Avenza Maps on their smartphones, a GPS-connected maps collection that allows them to gather and geolocate vital information about their communities. They collect data related to households, population demographics, and vital infrastructure such as water and sanitation.

With their new data management skills, these women have significantly increased their influence in the community. They now possess essential village data that often surpasses what’s available to local officials. This has led to meaningful changes: during meetings with village authorities, the head of the village agreed to include gender-based violence prevention and women’s empowerment programs in future budgets and public initiatives. And the new data helps the village government make better policies based on real needs.

Mentorship and support

The women also receive training in agriculture and support for marketing their products—from cooking oil to shrimp paste, to virgin coconut oil. In addition to meeting their immediate financial needs, the vegetable garden program is designed to contribute to environmental sustainability. In several areas, the soil has become dry and degraded by widespread palm oil plantations, and this initiative aims to help restore the land.

Central to the success of the Women’s School is the mentorship provided by Vertenten, with support from the BERDAYA Program, the New Zealand Embassy, and The Asia Foundation. This mentorship offers moral and technical guidance to help women gain the confidence and public speaking skills to press for change in their communities.

Through these simple measures, the Women’s School is both building a stronger, more equitable community and transforming the lives of individual women. Here are some of their stories.

Before joining the Women’s School, Ibu Elizabeth was afraid to speak in public and did not dare to attend community meetings. Now, she is brave enough to voice her opinions and even bold enough to propose ideas to the village head. With her new understanding of the laws protecting women, she has become a “resource person” in her village, sharing insights with peers who did not receive the training. Her story highlights the power of education for personal growth and community impact.

Ibu Esther, a leader in her church council and a guru honorer, a part-time contract teacher, in her village, has taken an active role in supporting her community. Not only does she participate in the Women’s School, but she also helps other women to find their voices and engage in community activities. With continued support and guidance from the Merauke-based CSO Vertenten, a key implementing partner of the BERDAYA program, she has formed a strong network of women and girls who continue to learn and grow together. Ibu Esther’s leadership demonstrates the ripple effect of community solidarity that can grow from individual empowerment.

Once unaware of her rights, Margaretha Gebze has become a vocal advocate for gender equality and violence prevention. Margaretha now actively reports incidents of violence in her village and mentors others. The successes of the Women’s School in Kampung Matara show that this model of empowerment should be expanded to include more women.

The village head of Kampung Matara recognizes the importance of education for women in fostering a stronger community and supports similar initiatives for men to promote balance. In the future, the Women’s School plans to collaborate with other programs to extend and preserve its impact. With continued support from Vertenten, The Asia Foundation, and the local government, the Women’s School aspires to become a model for women’s empowerment across Indonesia.

Ade Siti Barokah is a former program officer for The Asia Foundation’s Women’s Rights and Inclusion program, and Herlyna Hutagalung is an Asia Foundation program officer, in Indonesia. They can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected], respectively. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the authors, not those of The Asia Foundation.