From where I stand: “Don’t wait around to be invited. Start.”
Date:
Interviewer: Ryan Richard Rihi
By taking up football and helping start a women’s group for community action, Hidmatul Irfani is among young women overcoming long-held beliefs about women and youth in southeastern Indonesia.
“Growing up in Roi, I have always loved football. Every time there was a match or a tournament, I was there helping with the events, supporting the teams, and wishing I could be on the field. But in my village, people still believe that ‘football is for men.’ Women are expected to sit on the sidelines, cheer and go home.
That stereotype pushed me to prove something, not just for myself, but for every girl in my village who was told that we do not belong on a football field.
Joining the Sports for Peace programme adopted by UN Women’s WorldCoaches Youth Training was the first time where women playing football felt normal. The programme provided me with the tools and skills to carry forward and breakthrough challenges. The life skills we practiced in the field -- like working together, managing stress, thinking critically -- mirrored the very challenges we face in daily life.
The same teamwork needed to score a goal was needed to create change in a village.
This motivated me and four other women to establish Rumah Perempuan Beraksi (House of Women in Action), providing structured, meaningful space for women to participate in community affairs.
The idea was simple: if women aren’t invited into community work, then we create the space ourselves.
But starting (the group) was not without challenges. Many people in the village are still used to the ‘age hierarchy’ mindset - oldest first, younger later. Some local leaders questioned our presence, asking why young women were trying to lead change.
Hidmatul Irfani, 28, of Roi Village in Bima Regency, West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia, works in the village administration office and at the Education, Youth and Sports Office in Belo sub-district. Her work and activism contribute to Sustainable Development Goals 5, 10 and 16.
My message to young people is simple: don’t wait around to be invited. Start. Participate. Challenge assumptions.”
Sports for Peace is based on the WorldCoaches youth training programme run by UN Women Indonesia in partnership with the Royal Dutch Football Association, with funding from the Government of the Netherlands. Rumah Perempuan Beraksi is part of UN Women’s WE NEXUS project, funded by Korea International Cooperation Agency and implemented by the Indonesian civil society organizations Wahid Foundation and La Rimpu.
Vania Ramadhanty contributed to this article.