Women Leading Climate Action | Gemawan showcased its fieldwork in empowering and strengthening the capacity of women’s groups and organizations—demonstrating and promoting the reality that women are leaders and frontliners in climate change adaptation, particularly in the agriculture and forestry sectors.
From July 23–25, 2024, Gemawan’s team—Laili Khairnur, Ridho Faizinda, and Muhammad Isa—participated in the EUROSEAS 2024 Conference at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
The European Association for Southeast Asian Studies (EuroSEAS), established in 1992, aims to foster scientific collaboration in Europe within the field of Southeast Asian studies. Its main activity is a biennial international conference that gathers hundreds of Southeast Asia specialists from across the globe, encompassing both the humanities and social sciences.
Gemawan on the Global Stage
At EUROSEAS 2024, the Gemawan team was invited as panelists in the session “Climate-Induced Conflicts and Vulnerabilities in Southeast Asia: Community-Based Adaptation, Imagination, and Interventions in Space to Address Socio-Environmental Challenges.”
The session was convened by Anubhav Goya and Sayamo Chaorenratana from Chulalongkorn University, with Chika Shinohara from St. Andrew’s University as discussant.
Gemawan’s presentation, titled “Mainstreaming Narratives: Women on the Forefront of Sustaining Livelihoods in Climate Change Adaptation (A Narration from West Kalimantan, Indonesia),” opened the first session of the conference on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.
Climate Heroes from West Kalimantan
Gemawan highlighted its grassroots work with women’s organizations in Kayong Utara and Sambas, namely SETARA (Serikat Perempuan Kayong Utara) and SERUMPUN (Serikat Perempuan Pantai Utara Sambas). These groups exemplify how women take the lead in adapting to the climate crisis through agroecological practices, sustainable land and forest management, and livelihood diversification.
Women farmers in these communities have learned to manage peatlands without burning, protecting ecosystems while improving family income. Their resilience and adaptive capacity make them true climate heroes—women who transform vulnerability into strength.
Gemawan’s presentation also shared key recommendations:
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Community-Level Change: Strengthen women’s leadership and entrepreneurship by ensuring their participation in decision-making processes.
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System-Level Change: Mainstream gender in natural resource management policies—especially in agriculture—by utilizing village laws and community-based governance mechanisms.
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Organizational-Level Change: Build multi-stakeholder collaboration through gender-centered and impactful collective actions involving NGOs, universities, and researchers.
Building Global Connections
Over the three-day conference, the Gemawan team attended various sessions led by prominent scholars, researchers, and PhD candidates from leading universities in Europe, Southeast Asia, and beyond.
They also used the opportunity to build international networks and partnerships—one of the key objectives of the EUROSEAS conference.
Through its participation in EUROSEAS 2024, Gemawan reaffirmed its commitment to advancing women-led climate action and promoting grassroots knowledge from West Kalimantan to the global stage.
Author: Laili Khairnur, Director of Gemawan