Peran Perempuan Makassar dalam Tradisi Akkawaru di Ballak Tujua Kelurahan Onto Kabupaten Bantaeng

The Akkawaru tradition is conducted during the month of Rajab by the community of Onto Subdistrict as a way to welcome the holy month of Ramadan and as a form of self-purification. The implementation of this tradition is inseparable from the role of women. This study aims to describe the role of Makassarese women in the Akkawaru tradition in Ballak Tujua, Onto Subdistrict, Bantaeng Regency. This research uses a qualitative approach. Primary data collection methods include observation, interviews, and documentation, while secondary data were gathered through browser searches and literature reviews related to the Akkawaru tradition. Data analysis employs Mansour Faqih's theory to identify the role of women in the Akkawaru tradition, using data processing and analysis techniques based on the Miles and Huberman model, which involves data reduction and conclusion drawing. The results of the study indicate that: (1) a. The public roles identified in the Akkawaru tradition in Ballak Tujua, Onto Subdistrict, consist of 5 data points, such as women participating in deciding the date for the tradition's implementation, acting as the main performers in the Attoeng Ritual and Paolle Dance; b. The domestic roles identified consist of 6 data points, showing that women’s domestic roles dominate in this tradition, including preparing food, arranging offerings, crafting food containers, and feeding the customary council during the Sampulonrua ritual; c. The socio-cultural roles identified consist of 18 data points, highlighting women's roles as preservers and teachers of local wisdom in the Akkawaru tradition. Challenges faced by women in maintaining the Akkawaru tradition are categorized into two types: external challenges, such as modernization, education, and employment; and internal challenges, such as a lack of interest in participation and difficulties in balancing dual roles.