Local women's movements in Aceh and the struggle for equality and justice: The Women's Network for Policy

This article discusses the work of local women's NGOs and women's movements in Aceh, a province in Indonesia where Islamic sharia law has been implemented, in particular, the work of the Women's Network for Policy or Jaringan Perempuan Untuk Kebijakan (JPUK) as one of the many women's movements that have emerged after the granting of special autonomy status to the province in 1999. The work of JPUK in Aceh cannot be separated from the context of the implementation of Islamic law. The article begins by elaborating the implementation of Islamic law, the discriminatory practices and how Acehnese women respond to it. It then discusses how JPUK responds to the situation and works to advance women's and gender interests in the context of sharia implementation. The article sees that the work of JPUK has been influenced by its network with the national and international women's movements or women's NGOs and argues that women's movements in Aceh, such as JPUK, have, in many ways, challenged the implementation of Islamic law. This article also discussed the challenges that may hinder the work of women's organisations in advancing women's status, justice and equality.