Women’s Reproductive Experiences: Islamic Values on Local
Wisdom at Kampung Naga, West Java
Yeni Huriani, Irma Riyani, Boedi Abdullah and Nurol Aen
UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung, Jl. A.H. Nasution No.105, Bandung, Indonesia
Keywords: Reproductive Health, Values, Women.
Abstract: The fulfilment of reproductive health is the rights of all member of the community in term of information and
facilities. Women are the most affected because of experiencing prolong reproductive process. A unique
experiences shown in Kampung Naga, a community that still preserve traditional and cultural heritage, in
accordance with women’s experiences of reproductive health. This article attempts to investigate Islamic
values in women’s reproductive experiences in Kampung Naga. This study employs qualitative method that
contains both: fieldwork and textual study. For fieldwork, feminist ethnography with in depth interview will
be utilised to gather data in more egalitarian relationship between researchers and respondents. For textual
study, hermeneutical approach is suitable for critical analysis on Islamic texts related to reproductive health.
This research shows that women experiences of reproductive health are influenced by both Islamic values and
cultural traditions. This is evidence from their practices related to reproductive health: menstruation,
courtship, marriage, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeed and menopause that refer to Islamic rituals and
traditions. Although, there are also some traditional practices that seems incompatible with Islam, they still
preserve both practices simultaneously.
1 INTRODUCTION
Reproductive rights according to ICDP (International
Conference on Development and Population) is “a
state of complete physical, mental and social
wellbeing, not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity, in all matters related to the reproductive
system and to its functions and processes” (UNFA,
2014). Thus, reproductive rights include not only
related to physical health but also related to
psychological and social aspects of someone’s life.
Information related to reproductive rights is
important to be given to man and more so to woman
who experienced more on reproductive experiences
than man do. Woman should understand reproductive
information related to their bodies and know better
how their bodies work. This information could
prevent them from experiencing unhealthy and
dangerous situation related to their reproductive
functions.
The government and the society in general is
responsible for the fulfilment of women’s
reproductive rights. However, the socialisation on
information related to women’s reproductive rights in
Indonesia is still low and limited. It can be showed
from the data on SDG (Sustainable Development
Goals) since 2016 to 2030 to be achieved one of them
is to decrease maternal mortality which still high in
several areas in Indonesia. In several areas in
Indonesia, especially remote area, information on
reproductive rights for women is still limited due to
geographical difficulty and lack of government
commitment on this issue. Besides, many ethnics in
Indonesia should be considered in giving information
on reproductive issues by accommodating local
wisdom. It is related to the strategy on how the issues
of reproductive health and rights could be received
and understood effectively among those communities
who still preserve cultural traditions and their
ancestor values. One of the area in West Java that still
honouring and preserving the cultural tradition and
living the way their ancestors values is Kampung
Naga.
Kampung Naga is located in municipal of
Tasikmalaya in Southern part of Bandung, capital city
of West Java. There are approximately 300 people
living in this village. Living in this village, they
should follow the norms and values they learned from
their ancestors. The people in this village usually
perform certain rituals to honour their ancestors.
Huriani, Y., Riyani, I., Abdullah, B. and Aen, N.
Women’s Reproductive Experiences: Islamic Values on Local Wisdom at Kampung Naga, West Java.
In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Sociology Education (ICSE 2017) - Volume 2, pages 107-110
ISBN: 978-989-758-316-2
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
107

Interestingly, the people of Kampung Naga although
they are living their ancestors’ ways of life, they are
also adhering to a religion, namely Islam. Almost all
the people of Kampung Naga is Muslim and they are
also a good Muslim. They perform regulations
stipulated in religious prescriptions. Thus, it is
interesting to investigate on how they could preserve
their ancestor’s norms while at the same time
implementing Islamic values in their lives.
Research on Kampung Naga have been conducted
by several scholars on various aspects. For example,
Iryana (2014) explores the rituals performed by
people in Kampung Naga and their myth believed by
them. Other researchers like Misno and Prawiro
(2015) investigate life cycles’ rituals from birth to
death and its significant. Ningrum (2012) look at the
spirit that mobilised the people of Kampung Naga in
keeping and performing their tradition up to now.
Research by Hermawan (2014) and Ramelan and
Handayani (2009) investigate architectural building
in Kampung Naga. This research show how the
people of Kampung Naga always consider the nature
in building their houses, the use of material that
available from nature, the shapes and the space
between the houses. Other research on Kampung
Naga as tourist destination have been conducted by
Aqsha (2013) and Kusnandar (2013), these researches
show that in Kampung Naga all the traditions should
be maintained and preserved because they have great
local wisdom and become an interesting site to visit.
From the above mentioned researches conducted
by several scholars, there have no research related to
women’s experiences of their reproductive health and
rights. Thus this research attempts to investigate
women’s experiences of reproductive health and
rights and to analyse between Islamic values and local
wisdom in those experiences. This research aims at
understanding women’s experiences related to their
reproductive capacity and to know which values they
influenced related to reproduction. By understanding
values reside in reproductive experiences of women
in Kampung Naga hope to give inspiration for other
places to be implemented.
This research also aims to give recommendation
for government in giving information to the
community where traditional norms and religious
values influenced their daily life. By accommodating
both values, the community could better accept and
understand the government’s goal in giving important
knowledge on reproductive health and rights.
2 METHODOLOGY
This research employs qualitative method
adopting interdisciplinary study that is combining
between religious text analysis on one side and
fieldwork on the other side. In qualitative research,
the study includes not only try to understand and
document the life of the people being researched, but
also how the researcher involved in the interaction
with the participants (Leavy, 2014). Data collection
in fieldwork for this research use in-depth interviews
and Focus Group Discussions (FGD). The fieldwork
is inspired by feminist ethnography which suggests to
interact with participants in a less hierarchical and
exploitative manner (Oakley, 1981; Chiseri, 1996).
Employing feminist ethnography in research on
women’s experiences could contribute to the
understanding of women’s voices to be considered
and to be part of knowledge. The primary participants
are ten Women aged between 20 to 50 years old with
different educational background.
Textual study for this research employs
hermeneutical approach to understand Islamic values
on reproductive health and rights. Hermeneutics
emphasizes understanding the text not only to its
literal meaning but also to its contextual
understanding (Wadud, 1999; Rahman, 1982). By
employing both methods could gather data on Islamic
values identified in women’s reproductive
experiences comprehensively.
The data is analysed using descriptive analysis in
thematically order related to women’s reproductive
capacity in their lifecycle. The process includes
transcribing, categorisation in thematically order and
data analysis. Critical examination is used to the
content of Islamic texts used as the basis for their
understanding in reproductive practices.
3 RESULTS
3.1 Understanding Women’s
Reproductive Health and Rights in
Kampung Naga: Contesting
between Islamic Values and Local
Practices
As stated above, reproductive health and rights covers
every aspect related to not only physical but also
mental and social wellbeing of human reproductive
functions. Especially so, women are the most affected
person related to reproduction because biologically,
women’s body are more complicated than that of
men.
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Besides, women’s experiences of reproduction
are not limited to their period of pregnancy and
delivery but along the lifecycle of their life. Since
birth, woman’s body is very sensitive to many kinds
of unhealthy encounters. Entering puberty, woman’s
body is being prepared for their reproductive function
trough menstruation, and should be managed properly
in order that their body functioned perfectly. During
this period, any harmfull practices related to
reproductive organs could jeopardize their physical
and even mental health. These harmfull practices
include: unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion, sexual
violence and many others that can cause detrimental
health consequences.
The result of this study shows that apart from
preserving local tradition, the women in kampung
naga also influenced by islamic values in their
reproductive experience. Both practices will be
explaining in detail below.
3.2 Islamic Values on Women’s
Reproductive Health and Rights
Islam as a way of life regulate many aspects of human
‘s life including the issue of reproduction. There are
many Islamic teachings derived from primary Islamic
sources: The Qur’an and Hadith that contain
reproductive health and rights. Several of them
related to: menstruation (Q.S. 2: 222): during this
period woman should be treated nicely because she is
experiencing uncomfortable condition related to
bleeding include in it should free from having sex,
pregnancy (Q.S. 22: 5): during this time woman
should be taken care of by providing her with healthy
food, maintenance and housing, childbirth and
breastfeed: Islam regulate the period the baby should
be breastfeed. In addition, Islam regulate that to get
married one should reach ‘aqil baligh’ (thoughtful
and mature). This requirement means to be mature not
only physically but also mentally. This regulation
could also mean to avoid early marriage. Islam also
forbid zina (fornication, adultery) and gives sanction
for the perpetrator (Q. 17: 32; 24: 2 – 3).
Islamic values derived from those texts are
significantly usefull to be implemented in Muslim
society. These Islamic values can be a good and rich
sources for those who intend to promote reproductive
health and rights. Bennett (2007) suggests that
religious values and cultural norms should be
considered when giving information related to
reproductive health and rights. This suggestion is
exactly what we did for our research related to Islamic
values and cultural norms that are preserved in the life
of women in Kampung Naga.
3.3 Combining Values: Islam and
Local Wisdom Related to
Reproductive Health and Rights in
Kampung Naga
Kampung Naga is one region in West Java which still
preserve the life traditions passed by their ancestors.
Uniquely, a part from honouring their ancestors’ way
of life, they also considered a devoted adherents of
Islam. They combine Islamic values and cultural
traditions in their daily life in their society. Besides
the taboo (pamali) term internalised in their life that
should be avoided, they are also concerned with
Islamic regulation of prohibition and permission.
Here are some of the example: Zina and Marriage.
As mentioned earlier, Islam forbid zina (illicit
sex) out side lawful marriage. The people of kampung
Naga very concerned with the concept of zina in
Islam. Never did in Kampung Naga ever experienced
a girl or a woman fell pregnant before married. In
Kampung Naga, courtship is not forbidden but only
allowed for whom has reached 17 years old. And
surprisingly, in this village they get married when
they reach 18 to 20 years old. Those, almost never
showed found child marriage case.
Menstruation
During menstruation, woman has limited access if
not forbidden to entering the mosque and performing
religious rituals like praying (sholat) and fasting
(puasa) as stated in Islamic prescriptions. Besides,
they are also forbidden to have their nail cut and they
should gather all their falling hair and to be washed
when finish menstruation periode.
Pregnancy
During pregnancy, the women are protected by
several taboo (pamali) like forbidden to go out at
night (for their safety), instructed to bring/or put pin
in their cloth/dress, forbidden to go near the grave,
instructed to read the Qur’an and avoid unnecessary
words while talking.
People of Kampung Naga respect their traditions and
preserve those traditions by practicing them in their
life. Most of them are trying not to break the rules
stated in their ancestors wisdom.
3.4 The Relevance of Local Wisdom of
Kampung Naga and Islamic Values
From the above explanations, it is interesting to see
how the people of Kampung Naga, Tasikmalaya,
West Java who preserved their traditional values from
their ancestors also influenced by Islamic values. The
majority of people in Kampung Naga is Muslim and
they are a good adherent of Islam. Some of their ways
Women’s Reproductive Experiences: Islamic Values on Local Wisdom at Kampung Naga, West Java
109

of life is influenced by Islamic values including in
reproductive experiences of women in this village.
Thus, in this case, traditional values side by side be
implemented alongside Islamic values without
contradict to each other. Both values are preserved
and influenced their daily practices.
In the case of women’s reproductive experiences,
Kampung Naga protect the women through their
terms of taboo/pamali to be obeyed. Several example
like their rules of no courtship except for someone
who is 17 years old and ready for marriage support
the Islamic values of aqil baligh. Other example like
the prohibition for pregnant woman to go out at night
means as a way of protection of the pregnancy from
harmfull encounter because in this village no
electricity allowed.
The practices of people in Kampung Naga should
be respected and can be taken into consideration in
giving information related to reproductive health and
rights in this region.
4 CONCLUSIONS
Women’s experiences of reproductive health and
rights in Kampung Naga statistically is well preserved
supported by traditional values respected by all
members of the community. All the regulations they
obey to is a way of balancing their life in the name of
preserving their ancestor’s values. Furthermore, they
also preserve and respect for implementing the values
derived from Islamic texts such as the protection of
falling for zina, regulating menstruation, avoiding
child marriage, and protecting pregnancy. They did
not put both values in contradiction to one another but
accommodating both values in their life. For them,
both values are influencing their daily interaction
with God, among people and with the nature.
This study expects to give contribution for any
agencies (government or NGOs) trying to give
information on reproductive health and right to also
accommodating both values: Islam and local wisdom
in Kampung Naga. Recommendation for further
studies related to giving information on strategy of
women in handling and coping with danger situations
related to their reproductive experiences.
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