Empowering Elderly Women through Education

Optimizing Traditional Leather Puppet Shows and Hadrah as a Creative Learning Medium

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56741/jscd.v2i03.1260


Keywords:

Community Engagement, Cultural Innovation, Elderly Education, Women Empowerment

Abstract

This paper explores the innovative educational efforts undertaken by ‘Aisyiyah, the women’s wing of Muhammadiyah, to empower elderly women through special educational programs. ‘Aisiyah use traditional leather puppet shows (Wayang Kulit) and Hadrah Music as an innovative and culturally relevant medium to educate elderly women. By integrating local wisdom and interactive performance art, the project aims to enhance lifelong learning, health awareness, and social inclusion among older women. The findings affirm that education, even later in life, can be a powerful tool for dignity, empowerment, and intergenerational solidarity. The optimization of Wayang Kulit and Hadrah in this context not only preserves intangible cultural heritage but also serves as a powerful tool for participatory education, promoting active aging and community engagement.

Author Biographies

Sidik Jatmika, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta

is a lecturer at the Master of International Relations, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia. He is a professor in the field of human security. In addition to teaching, he actively engages in research and has published in nationally accredited and internationally peer-reviewed journals. He frequently participates in international academic forums to promote cross-border collaboration and strengthen the global engagement of Indonesian higher education institutions (email: sidikjatmika@umy.ac.id).  

Ajeng Puspa Marlinda, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta

is a lecturer at the Department of International Relations in the Study Program at Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY). Her academic interests lie in tourism policy, cultural diplomacy, and East Asian studies. Several of her articles have been published in Scopus, including "The social impact of halal tourism policy in South Korea: apart from the economic sector" (Asian Journal of Political Science); "The Role of Airlines in Promoting Halal Tourism" (Sociology and Technology (2023)); "Halal Tourism as a Strategic Option for South Korean Tourism" (Journal of Islamic Marketing (2022)); "South Korea's Halal Tourism Policy – The Primacy of Demographic Changes and Regional Diplomacy" (Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies (2021)); and "The Influence of Artificial Intelligence to Support Halal Tourism Policy in South Korea" (IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (2020)) (email: ajeng.puspa@umy.ac.id).

Muhammad Alfi, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta

is a Master of International Relations student at Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta. He has an academic background in International Relations and Sociology. His journey in higher education began in the Undergraduate Program at Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta. Motivated by his passion for deeper study of social issues and becoming an academic, he continued his studies in the Master of International Relations program at Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta. His academic interests focus on analyzing social issues through the perspectives of International Relations, Sociology, and Philosophy. (email: muhammad.alfi.psc23@mail.umy.ac.id).

Muhammad Indrawan Jatmika, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur

is a lecturer at the Department of International Relations, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur (UPNVJT), Indonesia. He also serves as the Head of the International Office, where he leads initiatives on academic cooperation and university internationalization. His academic interests include Southeast Asian studies, diplomacy, social movements, and regional security. In addition to teaching, he actively engages in research and has published in nationally accredited and international peer-reviewed journals. He frequently participates in international academic forums to promote cross-border collaboration and strengthen the global engagement of Indonesian higher education institutions  (email: m.indrawan.hi@upnjatim.ac.id).

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Published

2025-10-26

How to Cite

Jatmika, S., Marlinda, A. P., Alfi, M., & Jatmika, M. I. (2025). Empowering Elderly Women through Education: Optimizing Traditional Leather Puppet Shows and Hadrah as a Creative Learning Medium. Journal of Social and Community Development, 2(03), 197–206. https://doi.org/10.56741/jscd.v2i03.1260

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 03 (2025): Journal of Social and Community Development

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 Sidik Jatmika, Ajeng Puspa Marlinda, Muhammad Alfi, Muhammad Indrawan Jatmika

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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