Ikhwan Rahmatika Latif, Debora Panjaitan, Ikhsan Ikhsan, Wais Alqarni, Fadhil Ilhamsyah

The Politics of Population Control: Family Planning and Poverty Alleviation in West Aceh, Indonesia

Introduction

The politics of population control: family planning and poverty alleviation in west aceh, indonesia. Explores population control politics, family planning, and poverty alleviation in West Aceh, Indonesia. Reveals how local dynamics, culture, and policy integration affect program success.

Abstract

- This study investigates the political dynamics of population control in West Aceh Regency and their influence on local poverty reduction efforts. Using a qualitative case study approach in the Johan Pahlawan and Meureubo sub-districts, the research collected primary data through in-depth interviews with 24 purposively selected informants—including health officials, family planning cadres, community leaders, and couples of reproductive age—alongside field observations and document analysis. Thematic content analysis was employed to identify patterns related to service access, actor influence, and community engagement. Theoretically, the study draws on structural poverty theory, responsive public policy theory, local political theory, and program effectiveness theory. Findings indicate that high levels of education, access to information, and community-based cadre strategies contribute to strong program participation in urban areas. In contrast, semi-rural regions face compounded barriers due to weak infrastructure, policy fragmentation, and cultural opposition. Local politics critically shape program outcomes; actors such as religious leaders and village elites mediate acceptance through moral and ideological framing. Additionally, the lack of male involvement undermines the program’s transformative potential. The study concludes that population control should not be treated as a standalone administrative effort but must be embedded within a decentralized, inclusive welfare policy tailored to local realities. Policy implications include the need for cross-sectoral program integration, culturally sensitive outreach, male-targeted reproductive education, and flexible budgeting frameworks that allow sub-district-level policy adaptation. These measures are essential to position family planning as a viable instrument for equitable poverty reduction in West Aceh.

Review

This study offers a timely and insightful exploration into the intricate political dynamics shaping population control and its implications for poverty alleviation in West Aceh, Indonesia. Employing a robust qualitative case study methodology across two sub-districts, the research effectively integrates primary data from a diverse array of 24 informants—including officials, community leaders, and reproductive-age couples—with field observations and document analysis. The application of multiple theoretical lenses, encompassing structural poverty, responsive public policy, local political theory, and program effectiveness, provides a comprehensive analytical framework for understanding the complex interplay between macro-level policies and localized realities. The findings eloquently highlight the critical disparities in program effectiveness between urban and semi-rural areas, attributing success in urban settings to factors like education, information access, and community-based strategies, while identifying infrastructural deficits, policy fragmentation, and cultural opposition as significant barriers in semi-rural regions. Crucially, the study illuminates the profound influence of local politics, demonstrating how key actors like religious leaders and village elites mediate program acceptance through moral and ideological framing. Furthermore, the identified lack of male involvement stands out as a significant impediment, undermining the potential for truly transformative change. These insights contribute significantly to understanding the socio-political complexities of family planning implementation in culturally sensitive contexts, moving beyond purely administrative perspectives. The study concludes with a compelling argument for embedding population control within a decentralized, inclusive welfare policy rather than treating it as a standalone administrative effort. Its policy implications are particularly strong and actionable, advocating for cross-sectoral program integration, culturally sensitive outreach, targeted reproductive education for men, and flexible budgeting frameworks that enable sub-district-level policy adaptation. These recommendations underscore the necessity of tailoring interventions to local realities and represent a vital step towards positioning family planning as a genuinely equitable instrument for poverty reduction in West Aceh and potentially similar regions.

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