Aceh – Indonesia, Banda Aceh (Waspada Aceh) – Twenty-one years after the signing of the Helsinki MoU, the story of women striving for and maintaining peace in Aceh has been brought back to the screen through the documentary film Inong Peudame: Together, We Were Brave.
The documentary was screened at Orion Hall, Aceh Besar, on Wednesday (30/9/2026), accompanied by a policy dialogue themed “Women’s Leadership for Peace, Humanitarian Action, and a Resilient Aceh.”
The 26-minute film features the stories of 12 figures, including women activists, survivors, community leaders, and grassroots women’s groups in Aceh.
This film was produced by UN Women Indonesia in collaboration with AMAN Indonesia and the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs (Kemenko PMK).
The stories of these figures highlight women’s experiences during and after the conflict, including their involvement in opening dialogue channels, advocating for peace, and strengthening community resilience at the local level.
Founder and Leader of Pesantren Diniyah Dayah Darussalam, Umi Hanisah, who is one of the contributors to the film, stated that women’s experiences in Aceh’s peace journey need to be continually passed down to future generations.
“Female figures continue to advocate for peace, open dialogues in various spaces, and demand safe environments so that women can carry out their activities peacefully and without fear,” said Umi Hanisah.
According to her, the peace that the people of Aceh currently enjoy is not merely something to be remembered, but something that must be actively nurtured and preserved.
Programme Manager for Governance, Peace and Resilience, Yulies Puspitaningtyas, stated that the film serves as more than just a platform to document the stories of women involved in Aceh’s peace process.
According to her, there are still many women whose contributions go unrecorded in main historical narratives, despite their pivotal roles in building peace from the grassroots level.
“We hope this film will also be useful in opening up more discussions, learning opportunities, and creating new avenues for empowerment and equality initiatives for everyone,” she said.
Women Are Not Just Victims
IDEA Manager at AMAN Indonesia, Ghufron, stated that the experiences of Acehnese women need to be placed once again as an essential part of the peace narrative.
In his view, women are not merely a group impacted by conflict, but they also serve as active agents of peace and security.
“Women are not just victims; they are actors of peace and security who, from the community level, have helped nurture peace and drive change,” he expressed.
He hopes that these experiences can serve as lessons for Aceh and other regions in recognizing women’s contributions to the peace process.
The screening of Inong Peudame was followed by a policy dialogue discussing the connection between women’s experiences in peacebuilding and humanitarian agendas, as well as community disaster resilience.
Moderated by the Chair of the Balai Syura Presidium, Dr. Rasyidah, the dialogue addressed the experiences of Acehnese women and their link to the implementation and localization of the National Action Plan for the Protection and Empowerment of Women and Children in Social Conflicts (RAN P3AKS) 2026–2029, which is currently being finalized.
The forum also discussed the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, alongside building community resilience through the KITA TANGGUH program initiated by Kemenko PMK.
Deputy for Coordination of Disaster Management and Social Conflict at Kemenko PMK, Dr. Lilik Kurniawan, stated that the experiences of Acehnese women could offer valuable lessons in building inclusive community resilience.
“Lessons from Acehnese women can make an important contribution to these efforts, particularly in strengthening community-based preparedness and protection systems,” he noted.
According to Lilik, strengthening community resilience also requires the use of data disaggregated by gender, age, and disability.
This is crucial so that the specific needs of different community groups can be integrated into preparedness planning, disaster response, and recovery processes.
The dialogue also highlighted the link between the WPS agenda and disaster risk reduction, including lessons learned from the recovery following the flash floods and landslides that struck Aceh and several areas in Sumatra in late November 2025.
The event was attended by various stakeholders, ranging from central and local governments, civil society organizations, youth groups, and experts to development partners.
Following its launch in Aceh Besar, the film Inong Peudame will be distributed further through networked screenings held by women’s groups, civil society networks, and the film’s contributors.
Community screenings are scheduled to take place from October 1 to 19, 2026.
This initiative serves as a space to broaden the film’s reach while fostering discussions at the community level regarding women’s experiences in Aceh’s peace journey.
Furthermore, the networked screenings are expected to preserve the collective memory of women’s roles in peace and security while passing these lessons on to the next generation.
Participating groups are also invited to share reviews and screening reflections through their respective organizational social media channels. (*)