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25 Aug 2020
Weaving the Fate of Madurese Refugee Women: The Economic Empowerment Project through Ethnic Fashion
Project leader: Ms. Annisa Dina Amalia
Level of education and university: Master, University of Melbourne
Collaborating Organisations: -
Project Location: Kalimantan Barat
Activity Type: Community development activities
Sector: Rural Growth, Natural Resource Management, Small and medium enterprise development
Project Rationale:
In West Kalimantan, the traditional weaving industry can be found in many parts of the region and represents cultural traditions of many ethnicities. Interestingly, the weaving skills are not only learned by the local Sambas community, but also Madurese women who migrated from Madura to West Kalimantan during a massive exodus in the 1930s. The prolonged inter-ethnic conflict between the Madurese community and local Sambas community in late 1990s forced them to flee Sambas and seek refuge in Pontianak, the capital city of West Kalimantan. To adapt to the competitive job market in the city, these Madurese refugee women have developed the weaving skills they have initially learned in Sambas and started their own home weaving industry. The limited job opportunities, government and non-governmental support, and ingrained stigma in the host society that migrants steal local jobs have forced the migrants to independently sustain their lives. In the case of Madurese refugee women in Pontianak, our initial observation reveals the fact that the weaving workers perceive themselves as ‘workers’ where they only wait for orders from buyers or government, not as ‘entrepreneurs’ who can develop their own businesses.
Project Beneficiaries:
33 women, comprised of Madurese refugee women who fled Sambas and currently reside in Pontianak.
Priority Development Area:
Human development for a productive and healthy society
Link with Australian organisation:
Human Initiative Limited
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