Mid-2017, fishermen were prohibited from crossing, installing nets, and carrying out fishing activities in locations claimed by the company PT. Pelindo IV for the Makassar New Port development project. Mrs. Zainab, a fisher woman from Makassar, explains how coastal women were impoverished through policy papers and company lobbying.
“Hopefully it [our calls for change] will contribute to the G20 agenda so that the impoverishment of Indonesian women can be addressed.”
Indonesian women from various backgrounds – from farmers to street vendors to migrant workers – came together for a series of events in March 2022 to address the inequalities they face in their daily lives. After a series of consultations and a strategy meeting, a set of 9 demands was drawn up which represented the common priority concerns of these women. These demands were released during a press conference on International Women’s Day, and a demonstration on the beaches of Bali helped draw further attention to the demands.
As a result of these activities and the sense of solidarity and sisterhood established through the process, the women decided to form a network of women for gender and economic justice, dubbed “P23+ Network”. The network is committed to working together to pursue the nine demands formulated together.
Read more here.
This seminar was organised by Aksi! for Justice, Gender and Ecological Justice on International Women’s Day 2022.
On International Women’s Day 2022, Aksi! for gender, social and ecological justice held a press conference that was attended by six media agencies in person and three online.
Four media agencies published articles about the demands of grassroots women as presented during the conference (read the articles here and here).
On 15-22 January 2022, APMDD and its members participated in the Global Protest to Fight Inequality (initiated by the Fight Inequality Alliance). This included activities in Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Philippines, around the theme “It’s Time to Tax the Rich”.
Actions ranged from protests by workers and union leaders in the Philippines and dances to the tune of “We Will Tax You” (see Facebook Live stream above), a children’s art exhibit in Pakistan, a human chain in Bangladesh, a package of activities from movie screenings to talk shows, declarations and mural installations in Indonesia, and a discussion forum bringing together around 70 activists, thinkers and leaders in India.
Further details on the actions can be found in this article.
