Five journalists from various provinces in Sumatra, representing local media and national media contributors, participated in the journalist fellowship program organized by the CARE Indonesia in collaboration with The Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalists (SIEJ) from March 11-14, 2025. This program aims to disseminate the role of women in Berakit Village, Bintan District, in mangrove protection efforts and the enhancement of the local economy through the use of mangrove ecosystem products. The hope is that involving journalists in the women’s empowerment efforts in Berakit Village will inspire women across Indonesia to become more engaged in environmental conservation.
Mangrove Ecosystem Protection in North Minahasa District Through Women’s Empowerment
CARE Indonesia, in collaboration with the Bumi Tangguh Foundation, supported by the North Sulawesi Provincial Government and funded by the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN), launched a program for the empowerment of coastal women and mangrove restoration in North Minahasa District on March 18, 2025. The launch event was attended by approximately 70 invited guests.
A total of 50.000 mangrove seedlings will be planted in the buffer zone of the Marine Conservation Area (MCA) in Palaes Village, Sarawet Village, and Minaesa Village. Women’s empowerment, including female fishers, will be carried out through the establishment of Women’s Economic Business Groups (KUEP) to manage mangrove-based business potentials while ensuring the sustainability of the ecosystem.
Women’s Group in Berakit Village Preserves and Utilizes Mangroves
A total of 50.000 mangrove seedlings developed by the women’s mangrove conservation group in Berakit Village are steadily growing. These seedlings, which were sown in September 2024, will be planted across an area of five hectares in the buffer zone of the marine conservation area in Berakit Village. Once the mangrove seedlings have at least four leaves, they will be ready for planting, following the 1.000 mangrove plants that were previously planted.
In addition to actively participating in mangrove conservation, the women’s group in Berakit Village has also produced batik fabric using mangrove as a natural dye. This initiative is part of a training program supported by Traveloka and the CARE Indonesia. The training on utilizing mangroves as an ecoprint fabric dye is an effort to empower the women’s economic group through the Women’s Economic Business Group (KUEP).
Berakit Village Women’s Group Creates Batik with Natural Dyes from Mangrove
Mangroves are not only important for the environment but can also be used as natural dyes for batik. On February 17-18 and 22-23, 31 participants from various groups, such as Pokmaswas Srikandi, KUEP Melati and Tenggiri, and BBC, attended batik and ecoprint training, where they learned to process mangrove and mahogany bark waste into natural dyes.
This training raised participants’ awareness of the significant benefits of mangroves, both for the ecosystem and the local economy. In addition to enhancing their skills, the activity also encouraged the importance of preserving mangroves to support environmental sustainability and open up opportunities for sustainable businesses. This program is supported by Traveloka, CARE Peduli Foundation, and the Ecology Foundation.
Creating a Violence-Free Work Environment: Initiatives from Workers and Management in the Garment Industry
Efforts to create a violence-free workplace and provide a safe space for women are being undertaken by PT. Dasan Pan Pacific Indonesia in Sukabumi Regency and PT. Glory Industrial Semarang Demak in Demak Regency, with full support from CARE Indonesia. From February 19-21, 45 workers and company management participated in training on the documentation system and data management of Gender-Based Violence and Sexual Violence (GBV-SV) cases, as well as handling procedures. As a result, they agreed to strengthen the process of addressing violence in the workplace.
The initiative not only involves women but also emphasizes the important role of men, particularly at PT. Dasan Pan Pacific Indonesia. A total of 28 male participants actively contributed to designing various initiatives to create a safe space for women. These initiatives include socializing the sanctions for perpetrators of violence to other colleagues and organizing events that promote togetherness, such as a cooking competition for men, as a concrete form of support for women.
Empowering Women’s Economy in Sigi District Through Strengthening KUEP
A total of 144 women from the villages of Pesaku, Rarampadende, Ngata Baru, Pombewe, Ramba, and Wisolo in Sigi Regency are now members of the Women’s Economic Business Group (KUEP), which aims to enhance their economic independence. In this effort, CARE Indonesia is collaborating with Karsa Institute, with support from UN Women and funding from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), to strengthen KUEP through institutional development and entrepreneurship training to support family economies.
One of the initiatives implemented is a savings-based lending system, where KUEP members can save by exchanging coins. This system has been positively received by members, who see it as an opportunity to save while also interacting with one another. Each member is committed to holding regular meetings as a time for saving as well as a space for discussions and sharing experiences. In the future, KUEP plans to develop new businesses, such as coconut oil production and the making of fruit and cassava chips, to strengthen the economic welfare of its members’ families.
Women as Drivers of Environmental Protection: Building Economic and Environmental Resilience
Climate change has now become a real threat affecting life worldwide. The average global temperature has increased by about 1.1°C since the pre-industrial era, with the last five years recording the highest global temperatures, including 2016 and 2020, as the hottest years ever recorded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The impacts of this change are widespread, ranging from the melting ice at the poles, which causes sea levels to rise by 3.3 mm per year, according to the IPCC report, to more frequent and intense extreme weather events such as heatwaves, floods, and droughts, which disrupt food security, increase the risks of diseases like malaria and dengue, and damage ecosystems. The destruction of tropical forests, which contribute more than 10% of global carbon emissions according to Global Forest Watch and the World Resources Institute, exacerbates the effects of climate change we are experiencing.
In Indonesia, climate change has a significant impact on women, especially in coastal and rural areas that depend on agriculture and fishing. Rising temperatures and increasingly frequent natural disasters threaten food and water security, making women more vulnerable. Additionally, women are often exposed to gender-based violence after disasters and are less involved in decision-making related to climate change, despite playing an essential role in adaptation. Gender inequality, as reported by UNDP and the World Bank, further worsens the impact of climate change on women.
Sustainable Mangrove Efforts Enhance the Economy
In the face of climate change challenges, women in Berakit Village, Bintan Regency, have demonstrated an extraordinary role in environmental preservation efforts. A group of women mangrove activists in this village is actively involved in the restoration and conservation of mangrove forests as part of a protected area. They not only engage in seedling production but also regularly monitor the mangrove saplings that have been planted. To date, more than 50,000 mangrove saplings have been successfully developed. Once at least four leaves have grown, the women plant these saplings along the village’s coastal area, following the planting of 1,000 mangrove plants done earlier. “Together with the women in Berakit Village, we have developed mangrove seedlings, some of which have already been planted. This activity is fully supported by the CARE Peduli Foundation, in collaboration with the Ecology Foundation,” said Meli, a member of the women’s mangrove conservation group in Berakit.
Meli added that she and the group members are also working to develop mangrove-based businesses as an additional family income source. Through the Melati Women’s Economic Business Group (KUEP) and the Tenggiri KUEP, they plan to manage small businesses utilizing the abundant mangrove ecosystem. One such initiative is the production of fabric with motifs resembling batik, using natural dyes derived from mangrove plants. Meli further noted that to improve the quality of the batik produced, she and other KUEP members received training in creating batik fabric with natural dyeing techniques or eco-printing. Trained by instructors from Betuah Ethnic, she, along with 19 other KUEP members in Berakit Village, was taught simple dyeing techniques using roots, stems, and leaves from mangrove plants as the source of color. The batik training using natural dyes from mangroves is supported by the CARE Peduli Foundation (YCP) in collaboration with the Ecology Foundation.
Samsimar, one of the KUEP members, expressed pride in the training she attended. “I am very happy to attend this training because I can learn to make items that I can sell to increase the family income. Through batik training, I hope to produce fabric with beautiful motifs and colors from mangrove plants,” she said. Samsimar hopes that similar training continues so that they can keep growing and improve their family economy.
Generating Additional Income from Household Organic Waste Management
In addition, remarkable women also play a role in environmental management in Sido Mulyo Village, Musi Banyuasin Regency. A women’s group within the Independent Women’s Economic Business Group (KUEP) is actively managing household organic waste by using Black Soldier Fly (BSF) maggots. Nursinaini, one of the group members, explained that they also educate the local community to sort organic and inorganic waste. This initiative not only helps the environment but also opens up economic opportunities for local women. “We manage household organic waste from six families. The waste we manage consists of food scraps, fruits, and vegetables. We also teach the local community to sort organic and inorganic waste,” explained Nursinaini.
In Depok City, a women’s group that participated in YCP training is also involved in managing household organic waste using BSF maggots. From December 2024 to January 2025, the participants successfully managed about 29,772 kg of organic waste. As a result, they earned IDR 6,025,000 from selling the maggots. This initiative shows that women not only play a role in environmental preservation but also in creating sustainable economic opportunities. Arniah Purwanti, one of the participants from Depok City, said she was interested in participating in the maggot management training because it could bring economic benefits. “I saw on social media that maggots can be sold. But it turns out that marketing them is really hard. Now, I know where to sell the maggots, so it’s easier,” said Arniah.
Women are key drivers in environmental protection because they are often directly impacted by climate change and play an essential role in preserving nature. Empowering women, including economic empowerment, is crucial to strengthening their ability to face the challenges of climate change and create sustainable solutions. By empowering women, we also strengthen the environmental and economic resilience of communities as a whole.
Author: Kukuh A. Tohari
Editor: Swiny Adestika
