- Responsive gender approach is a method used in development program to realize fairness and equality in managing natural resources.
- Representative of the Ministry of Forestry (KLHK) and Department for international Development (DFID) of the English government met with the CSO representatives and local champions in the community level to share their experiences and discuss challenges faced by warriors of justice and equality in managing natural resources in a fair and sustainable way in each respective region.
Denpasar, 14 October 2018- A number of representatives from local organizations and community from Aceh, East Kalimantan, West Sumatra, Papua, and Jakarta met with the secretary of KLHK Bambang Hendroyono, and the representative of the English government-DFID, Matthew Rycroft (Permanent Secretary of the Kingdom of England), and Lindy Cameron (Director General for State Programs DFID) in Taman Hutan Raya (TAHURA) Ngurah Rai, Denpasar, Bali. This meeting was held to discuss and evaluate the gender first approach in an effort to push sustainable natural resource management to fair distribution of wealth for the community.
“Besides the economical value, the forest also has social values, and culture, it also a part that is inseparable to the existence of woman life. As a form of commitment, KLHK has long since formed workgroup PUG which is in charge of making sure the gender fairness approach goes well in KLHK for example in making laws that are gender responsive. Right now in KLHK, there are 2 Permen (government regulations) and 14 Perdijen (regulation of directoral general) in the area of the Director General of Social Forestry and environment Partnership (PSKL) in which the majority is related to access to social forestry and conflict resolution in the Jungle.,” said Mrs. Ayu Dewi Utari, Head of the bureau of KLHK Planning as well as head of Pokja Pengarusutamaan Gender (PUG) in KLHK.
In relation with that, KLHK welcomes the good initiative done by CSO, the people, and the English government through The Asia Foundation (TAF) in the Save the Forest and Land Though Management Revamp program (SETAPAK), in which the facilities was provided by the United Kingdom for Climate Change Unit (UKCCU) since 2011 as a form of commitment by the English Government in supporting sustainable and environmentally friendly development in Indonesia, especially by involving Woman and Man who fight to realize justice and equality in the context of Forestry and Land Management (TKHL).
Country Representative TAF, Sandra Hamid said that TAF with its CSO partners through the SETAPAK program using Gender Responsive Approach, by involving women in the discussion and decision making process. On that occasion, Sandra Hamid also said that “all this time woman are not or barely involved in decision making. But when given the chance to participate in forming the village budget, as a paralegal, or even in accessing public information in relation to mining permit and gardens, women can be actively involved placing women and men equally in a fair position to have the chance and participate in the making of THKL policies and advocating process.”
In the same occasion, there was also the representative of DFID Indonesia/UKCCU, Tom Owen Edmund, Unit Head of UKCCU-DFID Indonesia, Hetifah Sjaifudian, Lead of X Comision DPR RI, Mr. Aries Syafrizal-Head of Technical and Receivall of Minerals and Coal, ESDM South Sumatra and Mr Noralim SH,MH, Head of Bappeda Kabupaten Maros, South Sulawesi, which has been involved in pushing the rise of several rules and policies that accommodate equality in managing forest and land in Indonesia. For example the district of Maros has published Perbup (Regent Regulation) number 79 year 2017 about the proper allocation and direction of using ADD; which ensures the budget prioritizes empowerment of women and involvement of women in conserving the forest and social forestry. Besides the government there was also the Director of HUMA, Dahniar Andriani and Director of PT.PPMA Papua who actively push for acceptance of traditional community and jungle customs in Indonesia. There were 3 representatives from the local community which were 3 local women who have been involved in many works related to a better living environment.
Alam Surya Putra who is the Deputy Director of the SETAPAK program states that “TAF does multiple studies to map the relation between power difference between Man and Woman that is affected by social context, politics, religion, and culture at a local level. TAF also facilitated partners to devise strategies and implement gender responsive programs using Gender Pathway Analysis- to analyze and integrate gender issues in every government body program and activity, also to ensure the involvement women groups in advocating TKHL to answer for woman needs”.
Besides that, TAF also is the first to make the forum yearly meeting for local champion to share stories and experiences related to THKL by policy makers. Local Champion is the name given by the TAF to good community members be that women or men who possess the commitment and strong will to fight so that the forest and land that is damaged in their villages to be restored with policy reforms and equality between man and woman. From the 2nd yearly meeting in March 2018 working with workgroup PUG KLHK, attended by Minister Mrs. Siti Nurbaya Bakar who which gave 3 commitment to 120 local champions to managing environment reparation, which is
- Making policies and strategies for social forestry for women who are head of families.
- Formulate concepts of earth based on tradition and Indonesian culture while at the same time the original Indonesia version.
- Formulating and perfecting AMDAL and KLHS policies with gender analysis.
With 63 partner bodies spread throughout Aceh, North Sumatera, West Sumatera, South Sumatera, Riau, Bangka Belitung,Bengkulu, North Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Papua, West Papua, Jakarta, and Bogor, the SETAPAK program aims to push for transparency and accountability to reduce the deforestation rate and land degradation and increase the knowledge and understanding of local organizations in the area about issues in the forestry sector and land use to monitor permits and fix local and national government policies.
“Those achievements by the program are because of the commitment by multiple people in ensuring there are policies being formulated by the government to regulate sustainable forest and land management. In the implementation, SETAPAK made sure that there is local people involvement, including traditional people communities to supervise the practice of forest and land management, also to ensure that the policies and laws from the government can accommodate the needs of poor and vulnerable people. This becomes apparent, because the aspect of transparency and accountability becomes the core of the SETAPAK program approach in pushing for better management of forest and land,” said Margaretha Tri Wahyuningsih, Program Officer SETAPAK.
Through dialogs between the Indonesian Government, English Government, local people Organizations, and environmental fighters, it is hoped that it will create a synergized space and strong understanding to face challenges and problems in realizing justice and equality in managing sustainable natural resources. Some of the programs success in applying GRA, resulted in many local champions. Some of which are attending this forum:
- Dewi Sartika for Batu Bedulang Village, Aceh Tamiang District, NAD. Dewi who is also a kindergarten teacher, struggles with her village people to get them rights for their land. In 2006 their village was swept away by a flood and they evacuated to where they are now. This land is ruled by HGU PTPN 1. They have tried so their rights over this land is legalized.When Masyarakat Transparansi Aceh (MaTA) a local NGO in Aceh worked in Tamiang, the community was gladly receiving facilities. Here Dewi Sartika was involved in organizing the community to voice their interest to have a dialog with the local government and related government body. At first it was not easy for Dewi to join with a group of men in this syariat state. Thanks to the efforts of MaTA and Dewi tenacity, her presence now is even supported by men. Dewi is involved in many exercises to increasy capacity and village discussions. Dewi learned participative mapping to determine the land boundaries of her village. Dewi was also involved in filing a request of information to PPID to make sure the boundaries of her village land dan could be made an argument and fact as material for the district of Tamiang consideration.
- Dewi Sartika from Santan Tengah Village, Mugirejo, Samarinda, East Kalimantan. Dewi is a small business owner selling yuca chips. In 2015, she was overwhelmed when her yuca farm was taken over by a mining company. To this day, a gaping hole made by the mining company remains in her backyard. Not only that in the next few months she found out his son 25 years of age had passed away in those mining holes with others reaching hundreds of casualty. Distress from this environmental damage and the death of these kids, Dewi was moved with other villagers. With the help of JATAM Kaltim, Dewi with Rahmawati learned to voice their opinions to decision makers. Their voice was heard to the highest point of government the President of Indonesia himself who ordered the minister of Economy and the KSP to monitor this case. Several warning signs was attached in those mining holes and 16 cases of children dying has been filed to the east Kalimantan police department. Dewi, Rahma, and many women there are still fighting to this day so that their environment that has been damage can be finally repaired.
- Elia Fitri is a member of the Body of Hutan Nagari from Nagari (village) Padang Tarok, Agam district, west Sumatera. Before, Elia felt the hardship of joining a male dominated group. Even though the Minang has a Matriarchal culture, management of assets is still dominated by males. During Qbar, a local NGO in Padang did a joint program with the people of Padang Tarok, Elia was involved. She followed the training and discussion done in the village. She was also involved in the inclusion of Hutan Nagari Padang Tarok and a member of LPHN. With other LPHN members, Elia made sure the ADD was allocated to support other LPHN works and efforts to manage Hutan Nagari Padang Tarok.
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About the SETAPAK Program
Since its inception in 2011 with the support of the UK Climate Change Unit (UKCCU), the Save the Forest and Land through Repairs with Management Program (SETAPAK) The Asia Foundation believes that management of forestry and land is the key to build a sustainable forest sector that can spread the wealth among the people near the forest and conserving the environment. Besides decreasing gas emission to mitigate global warming, this program helps to decentralize forest and land management in Indonesia to ensure transparency and accountability in managing, protecting, and distributing the benefits of natural resources to reach a fair and equal economic growth.
For further info, please contact:
Ika Fitriyanti
PR Consultant
Fortune PR
T:+628128128793
Fadila Ayu Hapsari
Program Officer
SETAPAK II Program
E: fadilaayu.hapsari@asiafoundation.org
T:+62 811 916 3777