BANDA ACEH – At a cafe said to be the only one owned and operated by women in the capital of Indonesia’s most conservative province, its owner, Qurrata Ayuni, says she and her baristas are providing an alternative to the noisy, cigarette-smoke-filled male hangout.
The 28-year-old opened Morning Mama last year to create a space suitable for women in Banda Aceh, known as the city of 1,001 coffee shops.
“I thought, why not open a comfortable place for women?” he said.
Although the region has long been known as the site of the world’s worst tsunami and decades-long separatist insurgency, Aceh’s main draw for visitors is often its coffee.
Traditional sanger coffee, mixed with sweetened condensed milk, is a popular choice.
Aceh’s relationship with coffee began hundreds of years ago during the Dutch colonial era.
Today, farmers here grow world-renowned coffee beans in the fertile highlands.
Aceh also attracts attention for its ultraconservative values, including a bylaw that obliges Muslim women to wear the hijab.
Although women are not prohibited from working in Indonesia’s only Muslim-majority region that implements sharia law, running a coffee shop is often considered a man’s job.
“It is very difficult for women in Aceh to continue their education or build a career, because they not only face legal restrictions but also social bullying,” said Andreas Harsono from Human Rights Watch.
Despite receiving much criticism, public flogging is still a common punishment for a variety of offenses in the region, including gambling, drinking, and extramarital affairs.
Freelance careers are often considered out of reach for young Acehnese women, but Qurrata remains passionate.
IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE
Qurrata, who owns a cafe without a partner, sees a need for a space for women to work or meet friends.
She and her team of baristas serve fresh coffee to mostly hijab-wearing female customers, with children’s books and sanitary napkins also sold nearby.
“No cigarette smoke, no noise, very comfortable,” he said, adding that some men also enjoyed coffee in his shop.
“It’s a statement that women can own businesses, make decisions, and lead,” she said.
“This is the time for change.”
This entrepreneur says women are now starting to rise, showing at least 1,000 job applications as baristas.
“I want to offer them the opportunity to change the direction of their lives,” he said.
Caca, a 23-year-old barista, said it was a very interesting and rare job in Aceh.
Regular customers of Morning Mama consider this cafe a place where women can be themselves.
“I think it’s easier to communicate if you ask something to a female barista,” said Meulu Alina, a 21-year-old student. “I don’t feel nervous. It’s like talking to your own sister.”
HELP OTHER PEOPLE
Before starting his business, Qurrata lost his parents at the age of eight in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which claimed more than 200,000 lives.
His village near Banda Aceh was completely destroyed, but he survived and was raised by his aunt and uncle.
Qurrata said she wanted to mask her grief by helping other women.
“It’s a platform to help others find their own strength, like I did,” he said.
Photography work allowed him to accumulate savings and build confidence, before taking the big step into the business world with the support and financial help of his uncle.
Other women are still “afraid to start,” she said, for fear that men will say bad things.
“People here tend to believe that women should stay at home,” he said.
However, “the older generation understands that times have changed.”
The owner of Aceh’s popular coffee shop, Solong, Haji Nawawi, said he would not hire women to work but the locals accepted women making coffee elsewhere, considering it ‘normal’ because values from outside Aceh had entered the region.
Qurrata employs five women and two men.
Her income fluctuates, but Qurrata says her main goal is to inspire other women.
“Women are capable of much more than is often acknowledged. We can be leaders, creators, and innovators,” he said.
“So don’t just sit still. Don’t be afraid.” – AFP