Key messages
•
AddressthelackofclarityontheconceptofgendermainstreamingamongplannersintheMinistry
ofForestry(MoF)throughcapacitydevelopmentopportunitiesandconsultationmeetingsorganized
bytheMinistryofWomen´sEmpowermentandChildProtection(MoWE).
•
Invest in gender- and forestry-related research, including the collection of gender-disaggregated
data,andusetheindingstohelpraiseawarenessonthediversityofforest-dependentcommunities
andthedifferentneedsandprioritiesofmenandwomen.
•
With the support and coordination of MoF, develop the capacity of gender working groups to
increasetheireffectivenessinmainstreaminggenderintopolicyplanning.
Photo by Ahmad Dhiaulhaq
January 2015
Policy brief
Understanding women’s participation in
forestry in Indonesia
Background
As a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the GovernmentofIndonesiahasundertakeninitiativesatpolicyandinstitutionallevelstopromotegenderequalityacrossall sectors,includingforestry.TheNationalMedium-TermDevelopmentPlan2010-2014envisionsgendermainstreamingasa developmentstrategytomakepoliciesandprogrammesmoreeffectiveforachievingequalityandinclusiveness(Kusumanto 2013).
ThePresidentialInstructionNo.9(2000)mandatesallgovernmentministriesandagenciestomainstreamgenderanalysisin theplanning,implementationandmonitoringofdevelopmentpoliciesandprogrammes.Inthiscontext,theMoFadopted technicalguidelinesfortheimplementationofgendermainstreamingdevelopedbytheMinistryofWomen´sEmpowerment andChildProtection(MoWE);subsequentlytheMoFcreatedaworkinggroupforgendermainstreamingwithintheministry in2003(MoF2010).
AtthesametimeMoWEintroducedtheGenderAnalysisPathway(GAP)toolforincorporationofgenderperspectivesin developmentplanning.ThetoolwasdevelopedcollaborativelywiththeNationalDevelopmentPlanningAgency(BAPPENAS)1 withtechnicalsupportfromtheCanadianInternationalDevelopmentAgency(CIDA).DuetothejointeffortsofMoWE, BAPPENASandtheMoF,inancialpolicyinstrumentswerealsodevelopedtostrengthengenderaccountabilityingovernment agencies(Kusumanto2013).
However,forestgovernanceandtenuresystemsinIndonesiagivelimitedattentiontotheheterogeneityofcommunities, speciically regarding gender, class, ethnicity and other socio-cultural aspects. Most of the work on forest tenure and governancereforminIndonesiahasfocusedonhowtomanageconlictsbetweencustomarycommunityforestsystemsand forestsunderstatecontrol.Whilethisthrustseekstochangeboththelegalframeworkanditsimplementation,aswellas toaddressconlictmanagement,genderequalityprinciplesareseldomconsidered.Thus,gender-basedinjusticesinforest governanceandtenure,mostlyexperiencedbywomen,haveyettobeaddressedadequately(SiscwatiandMahaningtyas 2012).
This brief discusses how gender perspectives are integrated in Indonesia’s forest policies and laws in terms of women’s representation,participation,accesstoanddecision-makinginforestuseandmanagement.Thebriefalsohighlightsthe keychallengesinmainstreaminggenderaspectsandoutlinesrecommendationstopromotegendermainstreamingfurther intheforestrysector.
Gender concerns in forest policies
ThetwokeypolicystrategiesforparticipatoryforestmanagementinIndonesiaarerelatedtosocialforestryandcommunity forestry. Community forestry, as a policy strategy, began in 1995 with the objective of engaging communities in state forest areas that had not been allocated as concessions or had no utilization permits. Since 2007, all forestry schemes concerninglocalcommunities,whetherinsideoroutsideaforestestate,havebeenregulatedbyGovernmentRegulation 6/2007,althoughtheterm‘socialforestry’isnotexplicitlymentioned.SocialandcommunityforestryinIndonesiahasaimed principallytorehabilitatedegradedforeststoenhancepeople’swelfare.
Theseparticipatorypoliciespresumecommunitiestobehomogenoussocialentitieswithcommoninterestsandpriorities; theydonotconsiderthattheycomprisedifferentgroupswithdisparategenders,ethnicities,socialstatus,levelsofpower andaccesstoresources.Likewise,policiesrelatedtoforestindustriesandtradedonotacknowledgegenderrightsand responsibilities, despite women’s signiicant contributions to Indonesia’s forest industries and small- and medium-size enterprises(SMEs)(Box1),includingtheprocessingofnon-woodforestproducts(NWFPs)(Nansereko2011).
DespitethepromulgationofPresidentialInstructionNo.9(2000),ithasnotbeentranslatedintospeciicforestryregulations orlawswhichwouldmakeitmandatoryforgovernmentministriesandagenciestomainstreamgenderintheplanning, implementationandmonitoringofdevelopmentpoliciesandprogrammes.Forexample,thecommunityforestryregulations andtheregulationsonissuanceofpermitsforharvestingNWFPsdonotincorporategenderconsiderations.
Hence,moreeffortsarerequiredtoaddressthefollowingkeychallengestomainstreamgenderissuesfurtherinIndonesia’s forestpoliciesandpractices:
• Poorunderstandingandlackofclarityontheconceptsofgenderandgendermainstreaminghavegeneratedconfusion amongMoFoficials.
• Members of the MoF’s gender mainstreaming working group have insuficient capacity to fulill their duties and responsibilitiesastheylackskillsandexpertiseingendermainstreaming.
• Duetomeagregender-relevantdataforinformingpolicy-makers,timelyidentiicationofneedsandpriorities,deining policyoptions,developingprogrammeguidesandmonitoringpolicyimplementationaredificult.
Box 1. Women and forest enterprises
Overtime,community-basedtimberproductionhasgraduallyshiftedfromsubsistencetomarketproductionandhas becomemoreintegratedintodomesticandexportmarkets.Timberbusinessactivitiesunderscoremen’straditional rolesascashearnerswhilethoseofwomenarerelegatedtomerelymeetingsubsistenceneeds.
Ifthisperspectivecontinueswithinthechangingcontextofsubsistence-to-marketproduction,women,whoarethe primaryusersandmanagersofNWFPs,willhavelimitedopportunitiestoproduceandsellproductsforthemarket.In NWFP-processingindustries,mendominatefurniture-makinglargelyduetothesocially-andculturally-shapedgender divisionoflabour,eventhoughwomenplaysigniicantrolesinwood-basedindustries.
Moving forward
Indonesiahasmadeprogressinintegratingwomen’sissuesintonationalprogrammesbyintroducinggendermainstreaming asastrategyforinclusivityintheNationalMedium-TermDevelopmentPlan2010-2014.Thefollowingrecommendationswill helpthegovernmenttoaddressremainingchallenges:
• Providecapacitydevelopmentopportunitiesandconsultationmeetings(organizedbytheMoWE)forforestryoficialson theconceptofgendermainstreaminganditsimportancetosustainableforestmanagement.
• PromotecollaborationbetweentheMoF,MoWEandBAPPENAStosupporttheincorporationofgenderperspectivesin researchandhumanresourcedevelopmentplanningbytheMoF.
• StrengthenthecapacitiesoftheMoF’sgendermainstreamingworkinggroupandimproveitsoutputthroughtraining ongenderanalysisandgender-sensitivemonitoringandevaluationtobackstopitsrolesandresponsibilities.
• Hold dialogue and consultation meetings at national and subnational levels to promote understanding on the heterogeneityofforestcommunitiesandtheinclusionofwomen’sconcernsintenurerightsandparticipatoryforest policiesandprogrammes.
• Developagender-sensitivemonitoringandevaluationsystemthatincludescollection,useandanalysisofsector-wide genderstatisticstoinformforestrypolicies.
References
InternationalLabourOrganization(ILO).2010.Labour conditions in forestry in Indonesia.Jakarta,ILO.
Kusumanto, T. 2013.Towards forests in Indonesia for the benefit of men and women: Capacity development needs
assessment for gender mainstreaming into forest policies.Jakarta,Indonesia.Unpublished.
MinistryofForestry(MoF).2010.ReformasiBirokrasi.Jakarta,MoF.
Nansereko,S.C.2011.Is gender relevant in enhancing economic competitiveness of forest industries? Exploring the
wood-furniture value networks in Jepara, Central Java – Indonesia.DenmarkandBogor,Indonesia,DepartmentofForest
andLandscapePlanning,CopenhagenUniversityandCenterforInternationalForestryResearch.
Purnomo, H., Irawati, R.H., Fauzan, A.U. & Melati, M. 2011. Scenario-based actions to upgrade small-scale furniture producersandtheirimpactsonwomeninCentralJava,Indonesia.International Forestry Review,13(2).
Siscwati,M.&Mahaningtyas,A.2012.Gender justice: forest tenure and forest governance in Indonesia. RightsandResources
InstituteBriefNo.3of4.Washington,DC.
Weidnitzer,E.,Sugarda,A.P.&Tambunan,T.T.H.2009.Furniture industry in Indonesia: The labour markets and gender impact
of the global economic slowdown on value chains.Jakarta,DeutscheGesellschaftfürTechnischeZusammenarbeit
GmbH,P.T.PaciicRekanprimaandUniversityofTrisakti.