Empowerment of Women Farm Laborers to Improve Household Economy: A Case Study in Rural Aceh
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15294/jphi.v9i2.32446Keywords:
Women's empowerment, Farmworkers, Family economy, WelfareAbstract
Poverty is a significant problem, especially in rural areas. Women who work as farm laborers in Aceh Besar District play an important role in supporting the family economy. This research aims to find the empowerment of female farm laborers to improve the family economy and lead to a prosperous family. This study collected data through observation, interviews, and documentation using descriptive qualitative methods and triangulation analysis. The findings show that the empowerment improved family welfare through increased income and better financial management. Empowerment programs can help women farm laborers become more economically independent and contribute more meaningfully to family welfare.
References
Anderson, Steven G., Min Zhan, and Jeff Scott. “Developing Financial Management Training in Low-Income Communities: Assessing Needs and Community Practice Implications.” Journal of Community Practice 13, no. 4 (December 2005): 31–49. https://doi.org/10.1300/J125v13n04_03.
Audia, Nanda, Nur Wahyu Ningsih, Arifa Kurniawan, and Raizky Rienaldy Pramasha. “The Dynamics of the Role of Women Workers Abroad to Improve the Family Economy: The Perspective of Islamic Economics.” Journal of Economics Research and Policy Studies 3, no. 3 (December 2023): 159–68. https://doi.org/10.53088/jerps.v3i3.761.
Banowati, Eva, Juhadi Juhadi, Suhadi Suhadi, Satya Budi Nugraha, Muhammad Fauzan Ramadhan, Ayu Wulansari Pramita, Lina Adi Wijayanti, and Yuria Sari. “Tenurial Mapping and Agroforestry Model Development Based on Socio-Cultural Dynamic on Muria Forest Production Area.” Indonesian Journal of Environmental Law and Sustainable Development 4, no. 1 (2025). https://doi.org/10.15294/ijel.v4i1.22287.
Banowati, Eva, Efriyani Sumastuti, Juhadi Juhadi, Suhadi Suhadi, and Nugroho Trisnu Brata. “Digital Technology Use and Perceived Intergenerational Empowerment in Sustainable Rural Tourism: Evidence from a Youth-Dominated Sample in Mount Muria, Indonesia.” International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning 21, no. 8 (August 31, 2026): 3779–88. https://doi.org/10.18280/ijsdp.210827.
Bisgrove, Eilene Z., and Barry M. Popkin. “Does Women’s Work Improve Their Nutrition: Evidence from the Urban Philippines.” Social Science & Medicine 43, no. 10 (November 1996): 1475–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(96)00046-9.
Bowen, Cathy Faulcon, Daniel J. Lago, and Marilyn M. Furry. “Money Management in Families: A Review of the Literature with a Racial, Ethnic, and Limited Income Perspective.” Advancing the Consumer Interest 9, no. 2 (1997): 32–42.
Burroway, Rebekah. “Are All Jobs Created Equal? A Cross-National Analysis of Women’s Employment and Child Malnutrition in Developing Countries.” Social Science Research 67 (September 2017): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2017.07.003.
Firyanti, Ozza Candra, Muhammad Alvis Pradana, Yulia Eny Nurni’amah, and Septian Heru Kurniawan. “The Changing Roles of Women in Java: From Housewife Roles to Family Woman.” Social Studies in Education 1, no. 1 (June 2023): 57–66. https://doi.org/10.15642/sse.2023.1.1.57-66.
Gera, Navneet, and Swati Rohatgi. “A Bibliometric Analysis of Women’s Economic Empowerment Lite.” International Journal of Services, Economics and Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd 16, no. 6 (2025): 702–18.
Grata-Borkowska, Urszula, Mateusz Sobieski, Jarosław Drobnik, Ewa Fabich, and Maria Magdalena Bujnowska-Fedak. “Perception and Attitude toward Teleconsultations among Different Healthcare Professionals in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 18 (September 2022): 11532. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811532.
Haddad, Lawrence. “The Income Earned by Women: Impacts on Welfare Outcomes.” Agricultural Economics 20, no. 2 (March 1999): 135–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-5150(98)00083-8.
Hartarini, Yovita Mumpuni, Siti Khayatun, and Tika Selviana. “Contribution Of Women Workers To The Family Economy.” Jurnal Capital: Kebijakan Ekonomi, Manajemen Dan Akuntansi 5, no. 1 (July 2023): 50–65. https://doi.org/10.33747/capital.v5i1.163.
Hoodfar, Homa. Between Marriage and the Market: Intimate Politics and Survival in Cairo. California: University of California Press, 1997.
Husein, Sabarina, Herdis Herdiansyah, and LG Saraswati Putri. “Allocation to Gender Empowerment towards Gender Equality of Sustainable Development Goals.” IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 716, no. 1 (March 2021): 012096. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/716/1/012096.
Husin, Asna. “Women of Aceh: The Struggle for Peace and Justice.” In Economic Empowerment of Women in the Islamic World, Volume 1:309–30. Advances in Research on Islamic Economics and Finance. WORLD SCIENTIFIC, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811212154_0015.
Kamruzzaman, Palash. “Exploring the Nexus Between Participation and Empowerment.” Journal of Development Policy and Practice 5, no. 1 (January 2020): 32–53. https://doi.org/10.1177/2455133320909926.
Kimkong, Ham, Buapun Promphakping, Harri Hudson, Samantha C. J. Day, and Ly Vouch Long. “Income Diversification and Household Wellbeing: Case Study of the Rural Framing Communities of Tang Krasang and Trapang Trabek in Stung Chreybak, Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia.” Sustainability 15, no. 14 (July 2023): 11106. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411106.
Kochar, Anjini, Closepet Nagabhushana, Ritwik Sarkar, Rohan Shah, and Geeta Singh. “Financial Access and Women’s Role in Household Decisions: Empirical Evidence from India’s National Rural Livelihoods Project.” Journal of Development Economics 155 (March 2022): 102821. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2022.102821.
Komatsu, Hitomi, Hazel Jean L. Malapit, and Sophie Theis. “Does Women’s Time in Domestic Work and Agriculture Affect Women’s and Children’s Dietary Diversity? Evidence from Bangladesh, Nepal, Cambodia, Ghana, and Mozambique.” Food Policy 79 (August 2018): 256–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2018.07.002.
Lupo, Luisa, and Saniye Dedeoğlu. “From Home to Farm: Household and Labour Brokerage Practices in Turkey’s Commercial Agriculture.” Journal of Rural Studies 124 (May 2026): 104134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104134.
Mahama, Tiah Abdul-Kabiru, and Paul Kwame Nkegbe. “Impact of Household Livelihood Diversification on Welfare in Ghana.” Scientific African 13 (September 2021): e00858. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2021.e00858.
Molina, José Alberto. “Caring within the Family: Reconciling Work and Family Life.” Journal of Family and Economic Issues 36, no. 1 (March 2015): 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-015-9441-8.
Mooventhan, P., Hem Prakash Verma, and Suman Singh. “Women Empowerment Initiatives under the Farmer FIRST Programme for the Livelihood Development of Tribal Farm Women in Chhattisgarh.” Indian Farming 75, no. 10 (December 2025): 53–56.
Nopiah, Ririn, Eka Dewi Anggraini, and Puji Amalia Islami. “Woman’s Labor Participation and Household Welfare: An Empirical Study in Sumatera Island.” Jurnal Kawistara 14, no. 1 (April 2024): 72–85. https://doi.org/10.22146/kawistara.81011.
Nyberg, Ylva, Heather Mackay, Merezia Wilson, Mohamed Samkunde, and Johanna Wetterlind. “Supporting Access and Implementation of Agricultural Extension Services for Female Smallholder Farmers – a Systematic Review.” International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 23, no. 1 (December 2025): 2505387. https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2025.2505387.
Parmana, Eki, and Erda Fitriani. “Peran Ganda Perempuan Buruh Tani Karet.” Culture & Society: Journal Of Anthropological Research 3, no. 1 (September 2021): 61–71. https://doi.org/10.24036/csjar.v3i1.90.
Purnamawati, I Gusti Ayu, and Made Suyana Utama. “Women’s Empowerment Strategies to Improve Their Role in Families and Society.” International Journal of Business, Economics and Law 18, no. 5 (2019): 119.
Sabar, Wardihan, Abd Rahim, and Aulia Rahman Bato. “The Role of Women’s Agricultural Workers and Household Economic Resilience | Jurnal Ilmu Sosial Dan Humaniora.” Jurnal Ilmu Sosial Dan Humaniora 12, no. 1 (May 2023). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.23887/jish.v12i1.51701.
Susanti, E, K Sukesi, T Makmur, I Zikri, S Zahara, and D Y Putra. “A Study of Rice Farming Community in Aceh Besar.” IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1183, no. 1 (May 2023): 012099. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1183/1/012099.
Syakirotin, Muthiah, and Anne Charina. “Tingkat Kesejahteraan Keluarga Buruh Tani Wanita Pada Bidang Produksi Kopi Di CV. Frinsa Agrolestari.” Jurnal Ilmu Pertanian Indonesia 25, no. 1 (January 2020): 100–110. https://doi.org/10.18343/jipi.25.1.100.
Udasmoro, Wening. “Women’s Labor Force Participation in Insurgency and Ethno-Religious Conflict: The Cases of Aceh and Ambon.” International Feminist Journal of Politics 24, no. 3 (May 2022): 395–414. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616742.2022.2084138.
Wadei, Bernice, Ebenezer Owusu-Addo, Isaac Bonuedi, Thomas Yeboah, Richard Oblitei Tetteh, Ernestina Fredua Antoh, and Nathaniel Mensah-Odum. “Groundnut Processing and Women’s Economic Empowerment: Insights from a Qualitative Analysis.” Social Sciences & Humanities Open 12 (January 2025): 101631. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101631.
Wadei, Bernice, Kwame Ansong Wadei, and Isaac Bonuedi. “Re-Examining the Links between Women’s Work and Household Power Dynamics: Insights from Rural and Urban Ghana.” Human Geography 19, no. 1 (March 2026): 51–65. https://doi.org/10.1177/19427786251333094.
Wahanisa, Rofi, Pradipta Christy Pratiwi, Rahmawati Prihastuty, Dyah Ayu Rahmawati, Septhian Eka Adiyatma, and Satrio Sakti Nugroho. “Creating a Child-Friendly District: Strengthening Psychological First Aid Skills for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) Cadre in Pemalang Regency.” Jurnal Pengabdian Hukum Indonesia 8, no. 2 (2025): 375–96. https://doi.org/10.15294/jphi.v8i2.32395.
Wahanisa, Rofi, Rahmawati Prihastuty, Pradipta Christy Pratiwi, Dyah Ayu Rahmawati, Moh Iqbal Mabruri, Santi Rohmawati, Inge Widya Pangestika, and Septhian Eka Adiyatma. “Moving Together to Make Lerep Village in Semarang Regency Safe from Sexual Violence.” Jurnal Pengabdian Hukum Indonesia 7, no. 2 (2024). https://doi.org/10.15294/jphi.v7i2.6905.
Windiasih, Rili, Lilik Kartika Sari, Shinta Prastyanti, Adhi Iman Sulaiman, and Toto Sugito. “Women Farmers Group Participation in Empowering Local Food Security.” International Journal Of Community Service 3, no. 3 (August 2023): 186–94. https://doi.org/10.51601/ijcs.v3i3.200.
Wulpiah, Wulpiah. “Pemberdayaan Perempuan Dan Peningkatan Ekonomi Keluarga: Telaah Empiris Kelompok Kawasan Rumah Pangan Lestari (KRPL) Desa Kemuja Kecamatan Mendo Barat Kabupaten Bangka.” NOURA: Jurnal Kajian Gender Dan Anak 1, no. 2 (December 2017): 1–18.
Xhaho, Armela, Erka Çaro, and Ajay Bailey. “Empowerment or a Double Burden? Work, Family, and Agency among Albanian Migrant Women in Greece.” Gender, Place & Culture 28, no. 10 (September 2021): 1431–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/0966369X.2020.1817872.
Xiao, Jing Jian, Jin Huang, Kirti Goyal, and Satish Kumar. “Financial Capability: A Systematic Conceptual Review, Extension and Synthesis.” International Journal of Bank Marketing 40, no. 7 (September 2022): 1680–1717. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJBM-05-2022-0185.
Yadav, Anuradha, Anisha Mishra, and Sarvesh Kumar Yadav. “The Role of Women’s Empowerment in Advancing Sustainable Development: A Bibliometric Analysis of Contributions to the SDG Agenda.” Journal of Informatics Education and Research 5, no. 3 (July 2025). https://doi.org/10.52783/jier.v5i3.3281.
Zaninelli, Giulia. “Small Palm Oil Plantation as Political Arena: Environmental Narratives Among Workers and NGOs in Aceh, Indonesia.” IAFOR Journal of Cultural Studies 5, no. 2 (2020): 37–48. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.22492/ijcs.5.2.03.
Downloads
Published
Article ID
32446Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Fitriliana Fitriliana, Nasir Ibrahim, Kauthar Razali, Syaifuddin Yana, Nelly Nelly, Muhammad Irfan Hilmi (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). All writings published in this journal are personal views of the author and do not represent the views of this journal and the author’s affiliated institutions.
