ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the role of women's livelihoods in Aceh, in particular the changes in agricultural roles before, during and after the conflict, and how specific livelihood strategies are interconnected with the agricultural sector. It discusses the Aceh conflict and the road to the 2005 peace agreement, also referred to as the Memorandum of Understanding. The chapter describes agriculture in Aceh and women's roles in agriculture in Aceh during and after the conflict. It summarizes the impact of agricultural changes during and after the conflict and relates this to the future of agriculture in Aceh and the role of women in agricultural production. The province of Aceh is populated by about five million inhabitants and covers 12 per cent of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, which is located in South-East Asia bordering Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Malaysia. When Indonesia declared independence in 1945, Aceh became part of the Indonesian republic, but struggled for self-determination.
