From October 1–3, 2024, Laili Khairnur of Gemawan traveled to Bangkok, Thailand, to participate in AsiaXChange 2024, hosted by The Rockefeller Foundation.
The event carried a significant theme: “Accelerating a Just Green Transformation in Asia: Taking a Systems Approach to Climate Action.” It brought together diverse stakeholders — governments, businesses, and civil society organizations — to explore how collective action can drive a sustainable and low-carbon future for Asia.
Championing Change: Gender, Climate, and Systemic Solutions
Gemawan was honored to be one of the speakers in a thematic session titled “Championing Change: Gender, Climate, and The Power of Systemic Solutions.”
The session was opened by Elizabeth Yee, Executive Vice President of Programs at The Rockefeller Foundation, and moderated by Dr. Shagun Sabarwal, Regional Director–Asia at Co-Impact.
Other panelists included Dr. Amy Reggers from UN Women and Jagdeesh Puppala from Living Landscapes.
In the discussion, Laili highlighted the crucial role of gender-responsive governance in advancing a fair green transition. She emphasized that ensuring women and marginalized communities have access to and control over natural resources will accelerate the shift toward a more equitable and sustainable economy.
Participants exchanged insights and shared systemic interventions from Indonesia and India, offering concrete lessons for future climate actions in the region.
Introducing the “KUAT Women Farmers Initiative”
During the session, Gemawan also introduced the “Inisiatif Perempuan Petani KUAT” — an Indonesian acronym for Leadership, Enterprise, Agroecology, and Accessible Technology.
Through this initiative, Gemawan aims to recognize the role of women farmers, equip them with leadership and agro-entrepreneurship skills, and preserve local ecological knowledge in sustainable resource management.
The initiative also seeks to ensure women’s access to appropriate technologies that support sustainable and productive farming practices.
However, as Laili stressed, no single actor can achieve this alone. The success of such efforts relies on collaboration between government institutions, universities, civil society organizations, and the private sector.
With this collective spirit, the initiative aspires to empower nearly one million women in Kalimantan who work in the agrarian sector.
A Platform for Global Collaboration
Like other international engagements, Gemawan used AsiaXChange 2024 as a platform to build partnerships and collaborative opportunities.
Laili expressed optimism that Gemawan’s participation would contribute meaningfully to the global dialogue on sustainability, gender equality, and climate action.