Reporter: BAMBANG TRISMAWAN
Editor: RIKY HANDAYANI
Monday, January 26, 2026
RM .id Rakyat Merdeka – Four men sat neatly in a public discussion on diversity and peace. They were experts with advanced academic degrees. Presentation after presentation was presented: on reconciliation, the future, theory, and data—all delivered in a moving and convincing tone.
Meanwhile, in the corner of the room, a female conflict survivor sat silently.
Her life story was used as an example in the speakers’ presentation slides. However, her body was never given a microphone, her voice was never called upon, and her experiences became merely data, not perspective.
Have you ever seen or attended such an event?
Yes. In many public spaces, women are often present as stories, but rarely as voices.
Last week, I witnessed a different scene. At the “100th Anniversary Celebration of Ahmadiyah: Book Launch & Discussion on 100 Years of Diversity and Humanitarian Work,” I was the only woman holding a microphone among five other male speakers.
“I would like to express my highest appreciation to the Ahmadiyya Community as the event organizer who has presented a female speaker among the five male speakers,” was my opening sentence.
“Applause, please,” I continued.
Applause was heard, but it was small. Perhaps for some, a female speaker among male speakers was considered normal, or even unimportant?
“Why is your clapping so small?” I asked again with a smile.
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Only then, even louder applause filled the entire room.
Talking about diversity but not being diverse
Sociologist Dorothy E. Smith once recounted her painful experiences in academia. She believed that sociology was still dominated by male academics during her time at the University of British Columbia (UBC). As a result, mainstream sociological research was conducted from a male perspective, forcing female academics—including Smith herself—to think, write, and “present” as men in order to be considered professional.
The experience was painful. Smith felt forced to let go of his own experiences and perspectives.
“When he looked in the mirror, he couldn’t see himself. He lost his sense of who he was,” Smith told a friend.
For Smith, sociology should start from the perspective of women in everyday life, not from abstract theory, to reveal how social institutions regulate their lives.
From here the feminist standpoint theory was born.
There are three main claims in this theory:
First, knowledge is always situated in a social context.
Second, marginalized groups are more likely to be aware of issues and ask critical questions than non-marginalized groups.
Third, research, especially that which discusses power relations, must start from the lives of marginalized groups.
Okay, let’s leave the theory aside for a moment, so as not to sound too abstract.
Let’s return to humanitarian work and diversity. The word “diversity” itself implies differences: age, religion, gender, skin color, race, social status, and so on. So how can we talk about diversity if those speaking aren’t diverse and don’t represent the diversity of experiences?
In the context of conflict, discrimination, and disaster, who is most often affected? Women , children, and the poor. So how can we understand the impact of conflict and the needs of victims if their experiences are never heard directly?
In the case of the Ahmadiyah, for example, the SETARA Institute and the Wahid Foundation have shown that Ahmadiyah women experience double discrimination—based on both their religious and gender identities. Research in Ahmadiyah communities in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), West Java, and Banten also reveals women’s vulnerability to social exclusion, psychological pressure, and obstacles in their daily activities.
The experiences of Ahmadi women cannot be fully represented by Ahmadi men, even though in general the entire congregation experiences discrimination.
Women’s Nonviolence Approach
In a broader context, let’s talk about the role of women in peace.
“Since colonial times, women have been at the forefront of peace work using nonviolent means,” I explained in a session.
Kartini, behind the royal seclusion, had already spoken about women’s liberation and education.
Aletha Baun (Mama Aletha) in NTT opposed mining by organizing residents to weave in front of the company until the project was canceled. This isn’t about banishing the mine, but rather about caring for the land, water, and forests as sources of life today and for future generations.
Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, visited the Muslim community affected by the terror attacks in Christchurch wearing a hijab as a symbol of empathy and solidarity.
What about Ahmadi women?
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In my experience of interacting quite intensely, they are often present in humanitarian actions.
In 2017, when the Literate Generation team held classes at Salemba Children’s Prison, several Ahmadiyah women visited. They wanted to participate in similar educational activities, but the prison authorities refused—understandably, the word “Ahmadiyah” is in the name.
Our friendship continued. When the 2018 Lombok disaster struck, Ahmadiyah women invited the Literate Generation to participate in trauma healing in evacuation centers.
When the scavengers’ village in Kebayoran Baru, not far from the Ahmadiyah Mosque, caught fire, they initiated a family healing program by inviting the victims on a vacation to Ragunan. I was asked to participate in the event, and of course, I immediately said yes.
In a world increasingly full of challenges, conflicts, and egos, a nonviolent approach is no longer a complement, but a necessity. And that’s where the culture of female-male panels becomes crucial. Not to appear progressive, or to meet quotas. But because without women’s voices, public discussions will always be crippled. And the solutions that emerge will never be truly comprehensive.
A nonviolent approach, which prioritizes empathy and peace, is a vital legacy of women’s experiences. This approach is necessary to create more holistic and humane solutions.*) The author is an activist on issues of diversity, peace, and women’s rights.
Categories: Ahmadi Muslim Women (Lajna Imaillah), Ahmadis, Ahmadiyyat: True Islam, Asia, Indonesia