Woman-owned café in Indonesia’s Shariah stronghold shakes stigma

BANDA ACEH: In what has been claimed to be the only woman-run café in the capital of Indonesia’s most conservative province, owner Qurrata Ayuni said she and her baristas provide an alternative to rowdy, smoke-filled male haunts.

The 28-year-old opened Morning Mama last year to create a space that caters to women in Banda Aceh, known as the city of 1,001 coffee shops.

“I thought why not open a place that is comfortable for women?” she said.

While the province has long been known as the site of the world’s deadliest tsunami and a decades-long separatist insurgency, Aceh’s draw for visitors is often the coffee.

The traditional “sanger” latte, mixed with condensed milk, is a popular staple.

Aceh’s strong connection to coffee started hundreds of years ago with Dutch colonial rulers. Now, its farmers cultivate world-renowned beans in lush highlands.

Aceh still catches attention for its ultraconservative values, including by-laws that require Muslim women to wear hijabs.

While women are not banned from working in the only region in Muslim-majority Indonesia to impose Islamic law, running a coffee shop is seen as a man’s job.

“It’s extremely difficult for women in Aceh to pursue education or a career, facing not only legal restrictions but also social bullying,” said Andreas Harsono of Human Rights Watch.

Despite widespread criticism, public whipping remains a common punishment for a range of offences in the province, including gambling, alcohol consumption and relations outside marriage.

Independent career paths are mostly viewed as out of reach for Aceh’s young women, but Qurrata was undeterred.

‘Time for change’

Qurrata, who owns her cafe without a business partner, saw a demand for a space for women to work or meet friends.

She and her team of baristas pour fresh coffee to mostly hijab-wearing customers, with children’s books and menstruation pads on sale nearby.

“There’s no cigarette smoke, it’s not noisy, it’s really cosy,” she said, adding that some men also have coffees at her shop.

“It’s a statement that women can own businesses, make decisions and lead,” she said.

“Now is the time for change.”

The entrepreneur says women are stepping up, pointing to at least 1,000 applying for a barista job.

“I want to offer them the chance to change the course of their lives,” she said.

Caca, a 23-year-old barista, said it was a “really cool job” rare in Aceh.

The cafe’s regulars hail Morning Mama as a spot where women can be themselves.

“I feel more connection if I ask something with a woman barista,” said 21-year-old student Meulu Alina. “I don’t feel any nervousness. It’s more like talking with your sister.”

Helping others

Before starting her business, Qurrata overcame the loss of her parents at the age of eight in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which killed more than 200,000 people.

Her village near Banda Aceh was completely destroyed, but she survived and was raised by her aunt and uncle.

Qurrata said she wants to channel her grief into helping other women.

“It’s a platform to help others find their own resilience, much like I did,” she said.

Photography jobs allowed her to build savings and confidence, taking a leap into business after her uncle encouraged her and helped financially.

Other women were still “afraid to start”, she said, for fear men will say bad things.

“People here tend to believe that women should stay at home,” she said.

But “the older generation understands that times have changed.”

Owner of Aceh’s popular Solong coffee shop, Haji Nawawi, said he would not employ women but locals had accepted them making coffee elsewhere, calling it “normal” as values “from outside” Aceh had entered the province.

Qurrata employs five women alongside two men.

Revenue fluctuates, but Qurrata says her ultimate aim is to inspire other women.

“Women are capable of so much more than we’re often given credit for. We can be leaders, creators, and innovators,” she said.

“So don’t just sit back. Don’t be afraid.”