For over a dozen years, Asih Widyowati (37) has visited schools, pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) and villages in Cirebon, West Java, to introduce reproductive health issues and prevention of sexual violence.
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By: Abdullah Fikri Ashri
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Asih is not afraid to pursue this for the sake of protecting women and children, though she is often ridiculed.
On Wednesday afternoon (11/1/2023), the woman in hijab met students and their parents and guardians at a religious school in eastern Cirebon regency. In collaboration with literacy community Lentera Baca, Asih talked about sexual violence.
“Apparently, there are still many parents who think that sexual violence is limited to rape. In fact, groping and catcalling are also part of sexual violence,” she said. A number of discussion participants were surprised, because this had been considered normal.
Understanding is important, because sexual harassment can happen anywhere. Near the school where she spoke that day, for example, police had arrested a teacher who was suspected of sodomizing a student.
After the talk, Asih visited the secretariat of Umah Ramah, an organization she cofounded with her husband Abdul Rosyidi that focuses on reproductive health and sexual violence. She regularly conducts studies on hadith regarding women at Umah Ramah.
This is the picture of Asih’s daily life for the last 14 years.
Ever since she was a student in the Tadris Biology Department at Syekh Nurjati State Islamic Institute in Cirebon (2006), she has been learning about reproductive health, even though many people consider it taboo. She also studied the subject during her seven years at a boarding school in Brebes, Central Java. Never mind talking about it, even hearing the word “reproductive health” was alien. It’s as if only adults were allowed to know about it, even though not a few children are married.
In fact, knowing about the reproductive organs can prevent sexual violence and child marriage.
“When I studied this issue, I immediately remembered that a friend had been harassed by her teacher. She was depressed and didn’t want to go to school,” she said.
Her encounters with gender activists, such as Buya Husein and Faqihuddin Abdul Kodir at the Fahmina Institute, broadened her horizons about women’s and children’s issues. In 2007 at this organization for humanity and justice, Asih cofounded the Bayt al Hikmah community, which focuses on reproductive and sexual health campaigns.
In 2010, she received a Health Reproductive Youth and Leadership fellowship from Ashoka, a global network of social entrepreneurs. She also studied at the Women’s Health Foundation and the Pelangi Women’s Institute in Malaysia.
Umah Ramah
In 2018, she and her husband founded Umah Ramah (UR). Umah in the Cirebonese language means “home”, and ramah is taken from the word Rahmat meaning “love”. “We want UR to give rahmat to anyone, regardless of their background,” said Asih.
The organization conducts research, provides training and issues publications related to women’s and children’s issues. In 2021, for example, Umah Ramah conducted research on sexual violence at pesantren (Islamic boarding schools), with the results published in the book The Latent Dangers of Sexual Violence. Umah Ramah also trains students and santri (Islamic boarding school students) on this issue.
However, Asih’s path has not always been smooth. When she was a student, several friends once labeled her as a “liberal” and called her a derogatory word for the female organ because she frequently campaigned for reproductive health.
“I was stressed, sad. Am I that bad? I have also been [threatened] several times via email from someone I don’t know. It said I was a Jew, [part of] a communist network, teaching freedom and free sex,” said Asih.
However, the ridicule and threats did not stop her from voicing her support for reproductive health. “Many of my friends from elementary school who have graduated have gone on to marry, have children, become victims of domestic violence, and gotten divorced. I don’t want women and children to experience that,” she said.
Asih’s resilience has been honed since she was child. The 10th of 14 children aspired to pursue higher education in order to fight against the phenomenon of child marriage. Luckily her parents supported her, even though they didn’t have the money. Her father even wanted to give her his savings.
However, she declined. Asih still had Rp 500,000 from winning a speech contest during her residency in Pekalongan around 2004. She also had saved money from selling snacks when she was in senior high school.
She also sold headscarves and worked as a cleaner in the evening to pay for her studies. “In fact, I was diligent about looking for seminars. Apart from getting knowledge, I could get lunch for free,” Asih laughed. She and her husband also once spent all their savings with to rent a house for the Umah Ramah secretariat.
If God still provides me with health, I will still work like this. Maybe until death.
After graduating university, her family urged Asih to work in an office or become a civil servant. However, Asih decided on community work, including one year advocating for farmers’ land in her village. “‘You [advocate] for public protests? What do you want to become?’” said Asih, mimicking the words of her relatives.
The lecturer at the Fahmina Institute of Islamic Studies once thought about quitting, especially when her only child passed away several years ago at the age of 2 years from an illness. “However, every time we remember Anggit, there is an energy. It’s OK, we’re on this serene road. This is the starting point for humanity,” said Asih. The couple immortalized Anggit as the name of Umah Ramah’s publishing arm.
Now, many santri, university students and parents have learned from her. She also assisted on a number of cases of sexual violence. Last year, her organization and the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) assisted in drafting Village Regulation No. 2/2022 on the Participation of Vulnerable Groups in Village Development. These vulnerable groups consist of women, pregnant women, and people with disabilities.
The support of many people, especially her husband, helped strengthen Asih’s resolve in protecting women and children. “If God still provides me with health, I will still work like this. Maybe until death,” she said.
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Asih Widyowati
Place/date of birth:Brebes, 23 Jan. 1985
Education:
– Master in Management of Islam Education at IAIN Syekh Nurjati, Cirebon
– Bachelor in Tadris Biology at IAIN Syekh Nurjati, Cirebon– SMAN 2 Brebes senior high school– SMPN 1 Wanasari Brebes junior high school– SDN 1 Pandansari Brebes elementary school
Husband: Abdul Rosyidi
Occupation:
– Cofounder, Umah Ramah– Award for Female Activist on Women and Children’s Issues from Cirebon Regent 2022
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This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswo.