Gemawan Association together with Co Impact held a Multi-Stakeholder Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on “Strengthening the Role of Women Farmers and Natural Resource Managers Through Shared Understanding and Multi-Stakeholder Synergy” at Hotel Pantura Jaya, Sambas Regency, Tuesday (19/5/2026).
The event was attended by various stakeholders, including Regional Apparatus Organizations (OPD), civil society organizations, media, and groups of women farmers from the village of Dampangan. A total of 36 participants took part in the discussion, which aimed to build a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities for women farmers in sustainable natural resource management.
The event was officially opened by the Executive Director of Gemawan, Laili Khainur, who in her speech emphasized the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in strengthening the position of women farmers amid social, economic, and environmental challenges.
According to her, women farmers play a strategic role in maintaining family food security while preserving the sustainability of natural resources.
However, to this day, women still face various obstacles in accessing land, decision-making, and gender-responsive policies.
“Women farmers are not merely complements in the agricultural sector, but main actors who possess knowledge, experience, and significant contributions to the sustainability of rural life. Therefore, synergy is needed so that women obtain a fairer space in natural resource management,” said Laili Khainur.
This FGD is also part of Gemawan Association’s efforts to drive system change through the 3R approach—Recognition, Representation, and Redistribution—to strengthen the identity of independent and empowered women farmers.
During the presentation session, Dedy Wahab from Gemawan Association delivered material on “The Role and Strategies of Women Farmers in the Agricultural Sector and Natural Resource Management.” In his presentation, Dedy emphasized that women have a significant contribution to agricultural activities, from production and post-harvest processing to maintaining environmental sustainability.
He explained that women farmers need support through capacity building, access to technology, strengthening economic enterprises, and active involvement in policymaking processes at both the village and district levels.
“Strengthening women farmers must become a shared agenda. When women have equal access and opportunities, food security, family economies, and environmental sustainability will grow stronger,” said Dedy Wahab.
Additionally, the event featured a speaker from the Department of Agriculture and Food Security of Sambas Regency, Mr. Yupi Apriyanto, who explained the importance of gender-responsive regulations through multi-stakeholder collaboration.
The discussion was interactive, with various inputs from participants regarding the challenges faced by women farmers, such as limited market access, lack of land protection, climate change, and the need for more inclusive policy support.
Through this activity, it is hoped that more gender-responsive policy and program recommendations will be developed, while strengthening collaboration between the government, civil society, media, and groups of women farmers in achieving fair and sustainable natural resource management.
Source: Liputan News Sambas