Samsidar was a member of the Women's Commission on the Elimination of Violence Against Women in Indonesia (1998-2006). In 2005, in response to the Aceh tsunami and the peace agreement, she was appointed Special Rapporteur for the province, producing reports on the condition of women in the refugee camps and justice issues for Acehnese women. Previous to her work with the Women's Commission, Samsidar conducted investigations on human rights abuses in Aceh with the National Human Rights Commission, and is a founder and board member of the Women's Volunteers for Humanity (RPUK), a leading women's NGO in Aceh.