Under a Tree, Women in Kupang Learn to Name Their Bodies and Their Rights
Under a tree in front of a house beside a busy road in Kupang, more than a dozen women sit in a circle, talking in a relaxed atmosphere. Amid the sound of passing vehicles, they discuss subjects that were once rarely spoken about openly: the vagina, reproductive organs, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and the […]
UBSP Supports Families and Improves Village Roads in East Sumba
A day before their monthly meeting, members of the Usaha Bersama Simpan Pinjam (UBSP) community savings and loan group in Kalamba Village, East Sumba, gather at the home of the group’s chairperson or treasurer. Together, they fry peanuts, coat them with flour and eggs, and package the resulting kacang telur snacks for sale at schools […]
From Burdensome Customary Practices to Protective Village Regulations: Yohanis’s Leadership in Mbatakapidu
In many households across East Sumba, the kitchen is still widely regarded as women’s domain. Cooking for the family, preparing food for customary ceremonies, serving guests and ensuring everyone is fed are responsibilities that often fall disproportionately on women. So when Yohanis K. Maramba Hamu says that he can now cook, it may sound like […]
Yerni Hariance: A Lifelong Journey of Learning and Supporting Women
When Yerni Hariance speaks about the women she has supported over the years, there are moments when her voice falters. She recalls stories of women who endured violence in silence, believing there was nowhere to turn for help. Women who lacked legal identity documents and struggled to access public services. Women who rarely left their […]
What PERMAMPU Learned at Women Deliver 2026
For Dina Lumbantobing of the PERMAMPU Consortium, attending the Women Deliver 2026 Conference in Naarm/Melbourne was more than simply taking part in an international conference. It became a space to reflect on the long-standing work of Indonesia’s grassroots women’s movement, while also testing its relevance within global conversations on gender justice. Held on 27–30 April […]
KDK Prapatan Advocates for More Accessible Public Services
Balikpapan, East Kalimantan — For most people, visiting a village office to handle administrative matters is straightforward. But for persons with disabilities in Prapatan Village, Balikpapan, it was anything but. Steep stairs, counters set too high, and toilets that were not wheelchair-friendly made accessing basic services a daily challenge. That is slowly changing. The Prapatan […]
Changing Perspectives, Changing the Direction of Development in Pipikoro
In the villages of the Pipikoro area, Sigi Regency in Central Sulwasi, development had long been understood as a matter of physical infrastructure: roads, concrete pathways, agricultural access, production facilities. The needs of vulnerable groups — including persons with disabilities — rarely made it into planning priorities. Their data may have been recorded, but only […]
Ambon’s Inclusion Working Group Inspires the Expansion of Inclusive Services
In the city of Ambon, Maluku, change does not always begin with sweeping policy. Sometimes it grows from work that is close to the people: accompanying vulnerable groups, helping them access social protection, and ensuring their voices are present in the life of their villages and communities. Since 2022, the Inclusion Working Group (Pokja Inklusi) […]