Gardening in mosque courtyards: Elderly women’s agency and capabilities in collective practices
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61511/icese.v4i1.2026.3657Keywords:
agency, capabilities, elderly women, mosque-based gardening, productive ageingAbstract
Background: Older women are often perceived as no longersocially or economically active. However, in Palopo City, older women affiliated with the Nurul Yaqin Mosque have transformed neglected mosque land into a productive garden. This phenomenon demonstrates their agency and highlights how a faith-based social environment can support capability expansion in later life. Drawing on Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach, this study examines how collective gardening practices enable older women to exercise agency and construct meaningful roles. Methods: This qualitative study employed an ethnographic approach. Data were collected through informal interviews with five older women, participant observation, and supporting documentary sources during an eight-week period at the Nurul Yaqin Mosque, Palopo City, between March-May 2025. Data validity was ensured through source triangulation. Findings: Older women participate in gardening for three main reasons: supporting household food self-reliance, using their leisure time meaningfully, and maintaining physical and mental well-being. Gardening also provides a space for knowledge sharing, social interaction, and solidarity. The women experienced enhanced well-being, social participation, and expanded capabilities through access to fresh vegetables and stronger social networks. Nevertheless, they continue to face physical, emotional, environmental, and institutional constraints. The mosque courtyard serves as an enabling environment through which older women transform available resources into meaningful functionings, including food production, social participation, and collective contribution to community well-being. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that older women are active agents who expand their capabilities through productive, collective, and faith-based practices. The findings highlight the role of mosque-based community spaces in supporting active ageing, social participation, and empowerment. Novelty/Originality of this article: By integrating aging, gender, religion, and Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach, this study contributes to the literature by showing how mosque-based environments can facilitate capability expansion, social recognition, and collective empowerment among older women in a localized Indonesian context.
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