Things are now changing in the neighborhood, and the timing could not be better as the government of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has stepped up its land redistribution program as part of efforts to empower the rural poor.

The Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA) said rural women should be empowered during a discussion on women’s rights in rural areas in connection with the commemoration of National Farmers Day on Sept. 24.

The discussion that took place on July 10 heard how the Pasundan Farmers Union (SPP) was encouraging women to attend community meetings and have their say as land certificates were being distributed.

In the past, women were not only excluded but were also afraid to speak up because they would be scolded the moment they opened their mouths, explained Wati, the union women’s coordinator in Ciamis.

“Speaking up and disagreeing with the men was considered sinful,” she said, adding that those who dared to speak up would be subjected to vicious rumors about their personal lives and characters that would spread through the entire village.

Wati who resides in Ciamis, said she joined a Quranic recital group and went to school to find women willing to change the male-dominated society.

“Most of them hold on strongly to existing norms and culture,” Wati said.

Since 2016, President Jokowi has handed out more than 60 million land certificates to farmers across the country as proof of land ownership. Previously, the authority belonged to the state or was in private hands but was long neglected, including for concessions previously held by big plantation companies.

The KPA, working with farmer unions like the SPP, is campaigning to ensure that some of the certificates go to women, KPA secretary-general Dewi Kartika said.

Typically, a family receives two certificates, one for the house and another for the farm. At least one of them should be in the wife’s name, Dewi stressed.

The 1960 Agrarian Law recognizes the need for gender equality, but the implementation is lacking and most certificates are in husbands’ names, Dewi said.

To make gender equality happen, women should play a more active part in village gatherings and in the making of decisions, including choosing what crops to plant and how to market the produce, she said.

Yani Andre, an SPP council member, said women made significant contributions at gatherings.

“They excel in management because they manage the household and children,” Yani said.

To encourage women to speak up, the SPP initially routinely held separate meetings for the different genders. Later the two groups would meet and discuss solutions.

“At the end of the day, we all have the same goal, which is land reform.”

Damaria Pakpahan of nonprofit human rights organization Protection International Indonesia, however, cautioned against quick fixes in gender equality as land ownership had been long built on patriarchy.

“Agrarian reform is strongly ruled by the patriarchal system,” Damaria says. (dmy)

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