Gender, collective action and governance in rural Indonesia

Comparative Analysis

The full comparative report is the complete and finalised published report with all analysis and findings. Read the document online or download it in full or in parts here.

Research and Policy Brief

This brief presents findings and recommendations for agencies and organisations seeking to support women’s collective influence on governance, development and broader structures of power in rural Indonesia, with a particular emphasis on the Village Law.

Audio & Infographics

Listen to the Ear to Asia podcast and audio recordings from research trips, explore word clouds and data visualisation analyses of the reports, social network diagrams, videos and animated diagrams.

Interactive Map

Explore the village sites from across the Indonesian archipelago through the interactive map. Read about each village context, the women’s organisations active there and find links to case studies and women’s life stories.

Women’s Life Stories

These stories of the life journeys of 21 women from rural villages from Sumatra to East Nusa Tenggara offer unique insights into women’s aspirations, lived complexities, resilience and determination to reduce rural gender inequalities and bolster gender inclusiveness.

Sectoral Themes

The five principal themes targeted by women’s collective action groups are women’s health and nutrition, social protection, reduction of violence, support for migrant workers and improved work conditions for homeworkers.

Gallery

Explore the photographs taken across Indonesia over the course of our research, search by place and sectoral focus area.

Background to Village Law

A brief introduction to the 2014 Village Law established by the Indonesian government to encourage democratic and participatory community decision making in determining village development priorities. The Law emphasises the goal of poverty reduction in village development, to be implemented in ways that are gender-equitable. 

Research Methodology

Describes the overarching research questions and the mixed-method research of this study, which uses multi-level comparative case analysis, in-depth life story interviews, focus group discussions, process tracing, social network mapping, and supported by analysis of quantitative monitoring data from 27 provinces. 

Women’s Organisations in this Study

In this study, we collaborated with 15 organisations and partners. These organisations and consortium networks focus on different sectoral issues of concern for women, while seeking to support village women in strengthening their skills, capacities, and opportunities.