Advancing Women, Peace, and Security in Indonesia: Lessons from Jakarta
The Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS) traveled to Jakarta, Indonesia in April 2026 with a delegation of our Georgetown Ambassadors for Women, Peace and Security to learn how Indonesian leaders are advancing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and women’s progress, and to deepen our collaboration with Georgetown University’s SFS Asia Pacific.
Indonesia’s inspiring approach to advancing women’s rights within an Islamic framework
Our delegation was inspired to learn how religious and secular Indonesian women have banded together to advance their rights within an Islamic framework in this predominantly Muslim nation.
Legendary human rights advocate Kamala Chandrakirana spoke about the history of the women’s rights movement in Indonesia, including the mobilization of women’s rights groups in 1998 following the mass rapes of women of Chinese origin during country-wide riots. As Islamist groups gained power and enacted restrictive policies in the following years, women’s organizations came together to form the Indonesian Women’s Ulema Congress (KUPI): a religious school led by women. In this innovative model, women ulama (Islamic scholars) issue fatwas (formal legal interpretations of Islamic law) on topics like domestic violence and child marriage, which are then used to bolster support for national laws, such as a 2022 law on sexual violence. Chandrakirana cautions that this exact model might not be replicable in other nations, but it can provide inspiration.
Ruby Kholifah–who leads the Asian Muslim Action Network (AMAN), which is part of KUPI–provided an impressive briefing on how Indonesian women are working on issues of Women, Peace and Security while combating shrinking civil space and digital attacks against women human rights defenders. AMAN helps to localize the WPS National Action Plan – the 2nd edition of which just concluded – and the Preventing Violent Extremism NAP at the provincial and city level. AMAN’s many programs include the “Women School of Peace” and “Sustainable Peace Villages” which aim to improve 10 indicators around preventing social conflict, religious radicalism, and gender-based violence. Kholifah spoke about the three-decade insurgency in Aceh, a province in northern Indonesia, and the critical role women played protecting their families, searching for disappeared, and documenting types of violence. Their efforts are now preserved in the She Builds Peace documentary.
Preventing violence against women across Indonesia
We spoke with women leaders about their work to prevent violence against women and improve conditions for women migrant workers and other safety concerns for women.
Leading feminist scholar and Georgetown research fellow Resmi Setia Milawati provided a timely analysis of a newly passed law protecting over 4 million Indonesian domestic workers–90% of whom are women–after a 22 year struggle. The law guarantees health insurance, pensions, rest days, and offers wage protections. While the new law is a significant accomplishment, the test will be in its implementation. Milawati also spoke about a Georgetown roundtable series which is creating space for discussions on feminism across age groups.
Members of Indonesia’s Parliamentary Caucus for Women, including former Chairman Diah Pitaloka, spoke about their efforts to advance human security domestically and what their experiences are like as female politicians. Indonesia has a 30% quota for women on candidate lists, which was nearly achieved last election. Because campaigns are primarily self-financed, many politicians have financial capacity and social capital, which enables them to be more successful.
Meetings with UN Women representative, Ulziisuren Jamsran, and representatives from Komnas Perempuan, underscored threats to women, including online attacks against women, mistrust of the police, and a problematic “child abandonment” law, which means that abused women who leave their home (and children) can get prosecuted for abandonment, instead of protected from abuse. The conversation touched on the possible merger of UN Women and UNFPA, which has exacerbated funding shortages as countries are less likely to contribute to an agency with an uncertain future.
Representatives from organizations including The Center for Women’s Resources Development in Jakarta and Ashoka described the success of women-led cooperatives in Indonesia, which provide financial independence and leadership training to over 24,000 members. A central theme of this dialogue was the sophisticated ways leaders address social fractures, such as creating support systems for the families of migrant workers to prevent the marginalization of children. This work, alongside the efforts of female scholars like Debbie Lubis to mainstream gender-inclusive governance in universities, demonstrates the depth of Indonesia’s commitment to inclusive security.
How Indonesia is combatting climate change with a gender-lens
Climate change was another significant theme of the trip. We began our trip by visiting Muara Angke with Ashoka to hear firsthand how a coastal fishing village is grappling with climate change. Women shared that global warming has negatively impacted the volume of fish and led to frequent flooding, and spoke about their hopes for the future–from better living conditions to assistance reaching new markets and developing creative products out of unused mussel shells.
UN Special Envoy on Water and Former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, Retno Marsudi—who played an impactful role on WPS during her tenure as foreign minister—described the water crisis globally and what needs to be done to address the challenge. H.E. Marsudi underscored that water scarcity is a gendered security threat, noting that in many communities, women spend up to six hours a day fetching water, directly impacting their safety and economic potential. Her insights framed water as a fundamental human right that must be integrated into broader peacebuilding frameworks, whether addressing agricultural stability or the energy demands of emerging technologies.
Deputy Minister for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, Veronica Tan, discussed government pilot projects addressing women’s food security and land ownership at the local level. By linking their work to the President’s priorities, such as food security and preventing stunting in children, the Ministry has secured resources for 20,000 community gardens in villages which are an entry point for women’s economic empowerment and land ownership–as less than 10% of women currently hold formal land rights–and are also a strategy to preserve indigenous food crops. The Ministry has also promoted central gardens and kitchens as part of disaster-response efforts, as the centralized model reduces costs and fosters community.
Climate and entrepreneurship leaders, convened by Ratna Kartadjoemena, spoke about the wealth of resources in the nation–from agriculture to minerals to oceans–and discussed models to advance women’s entrepreneurship in ways that also benefit the environment. There is a significant gender labor gap–55% of women compared to 85% of men–and untapped potential for Indonesian women to boost the economy.
Indonesia’s foreign policy
We also held a series of dialogues regarding Indonesia’s relationship with the US, with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and on the world stage.
We were warmly welcomed at the American Embassy by Ambassador Haymond, who addressed a range of issues relating to the US-Indonesia bilateral relationship and demonstrated his longtime diplomatic experience in Asia. He discussed the “U.S. brand” of partnership in the Indo-Pacific: one defined by a decades-long commitment to mutual progress, educational exchange, and maritime security.
We had a rewarding exchange with members of Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including the Director General for American and European Affairs, Grata Werdaningtyas. Officials spoke about efforts to mainstream gender across policies and budgeting within the Foreign Ministry and a “stoplight scorecard” to evaluate efforts. The discussion also addressed Indonesia’s significant contributions to UN peacekeeping and efforts to recruit more women peacebuilders, especially civilians; the relatively high percentage of female diplomats–42%; and the conflict in the Middle East.
At the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (ASEAN-IPR), Ambassador Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja and his team provided an overview of the ASEAN regional action plan on WPS and the ASEAN Institute’s programs to support greater participation of women and their expertise and leadership in the region. A cornerstone of their mandate is the ASEAN Women’s Peace Registry, a strategic pool of experts tasked with ensuring gender perspectives are central to regional mediation and post-conflict recovery. By facilitating “Track 1.5” dialogues—which bridge the gap between official government policy and the expertise of researchers and civil society—the ASEAN Institute is creating a sustainable architecture for peace that prioritizes the agency of women across Southeast Asia.
Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service Asia Pacific
We were especially proud to visit Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service Asia Pacific, the first American university with a physical presence in Jakarta. We had illuminating conversations with Director of Asian Studies Yuhki Tajima and Policy Lab Director Scott Guggenheim. This pioneering outpost of Georgetown University uses “policy labs” to give master’s students—who will have an impactful role to play today and long into the future—a first-hand understanding of challenges in Indonesia, ranging from critical minerals to fisheries, livable cities to anti-poverty solutions. This new campus is a recognition of Georgetown’s leadership in diplomacy, development, and foreign policy, as well as the strategic and vital importance of Indonesia and the Asia Pacific in the world.