The Impact of Colonial Aggression on Women's Mental Health in Indonesia (1890-1942)

Abstract

This paper analyses the effects of aggression on women's mental health in colonial Indonesia (1890-1942). Colonial violence took the form of sexual violence, domestic violence, and genocide. Despite its commonness, women are rarely studied in research that addresses the effects of aggression on people, especially as it relates to work done on men. This study, employing historical methods, follows a systematic process, including topic selection, source collection (heuristics), source criticism, interpretation, and historiography. Women in colonial Indonesia experienced both considerable physical and psychological violence and often had serious problems with mental health, the results show. It included conditions including trauma, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This awareness highlights the necessity of investigating gendered patterns of experiencing aggression and the curvilinear interplay between mental health, social stigma, and cultural determinants, contributing to women being at a greater risk of experiencing aggression. The intent is to illuminate how these issues may still resonate today, underscoring the relevance and importance of the study for contemporary problems.