Aceh – Indonesia, Banda Aceh (Waspada Ace) – The Association of Indonesian Women with Disabilities (HWDI) Aceh has highlighted the lack of involvement of persons with disabilities in planning and implementing policies, particularly regarding peacebuilding, disaster management, and post-disaster recovery.
This statement was delivered by HWDI Aceh representative Yulidar during a dialogue titled “Intergenerational Memory, Recovery, and Resilience” following the screening of the documentary film Inong Peudame – Together, We Were Brave at Orion Hall, Aceh Besar, on Wednesday (30/9/2026).
Yulidar stated that the government is still considered to lack concrete data on the diversity and needs of persons with disabilities, which should serve as the foundation for policymaking.
According to her, this issue becomes even more apparent during disaster situations. Persons with disabilities frequently encounter difficulties at evacuation shelters because the facilities are inaccessible and fail to meet their needs.
“The government lacks concrete data regarding the diversity of disabilities. In evacuation centers, most are unrecorded and uncomfortable because accessibility is unavailable,” Yulidar said.
She also pointed out the inadequacy of early warning systems that can effectively reach persons with disabilities, including the deaf community.
“There are no warning systems tailored for deaf individuals either. Let alone women, men with disabilities are not widely involved either,” she remarked.
Yulidar noted that these conditions contradict the spirit of various regulations guaranteeing equality and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities.
She expressed regret that persons with disabilities are still often treated merely as beneficiaries rather than actors of change who possess the knowledge and experience to formulate policies that affect their lives.
“We are still regarded as beneficiaries, not actors of change. We are never involved, as if we know nothing,” she added.
Yulidar stressed that meaningful inclusion is critical because women with disabilities face compound risks of violence. She noted that violence against women with disabilities remains prevalent, including during disaster situations.
“In reality, violence against women with disabilities occurs very frequently. Especially during disasters, sexual violence also takes place in regencies and cities,” she stated.
She hopes that persons with disabilities will not merely be included as token participants in development planning forums, such as village-level development planning deliberations (musrenbang).
In her view, involvement must be meaningful across all stages, from planning and decision-making to program execution and evaluation.
“Do not just include us as tokens in village musrenbang simply to fulfill statutory requirements. We must be involved meaningfully,” Yulidar emphasized.
She added that this issue must also be addressed within the context of Aceh’s peace process, which has entered over two decades since the signing of the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2005.
According to her, sustainable peacebuilding must ensure that all community groups, including persons with disabilities, have the space to participate.
“It has been 21 years of peace post-Helsinki MoU. Yet even now, 10 months after the disaster, the data and needs of persons with disabilities are still not truly accommodated,” she said.
The dialogue was part of a event series featuring the screening of the film Inong Peudame – Together, We Were Brave and a Policy Dialogue on Women’s Leadership for Peace, Humanitarian Action, and Resilient Aceh.
The event was attended by representatives from the Aceh Government, Pulih Aceh Foundation, organizations of women with disabilities, youth groups, and key stakeholders in women’s protection, disaster risk reduction, and peacebuilding. (*)