Jakarta, IO – The concern for women and children drives Nukila Evanty to continue advocating for their rights. Following the Rempang Island case, where she advocated for women, Nukila Evanty, the chairwoman of the Indigenous Peoples’ Initiative (IMA) and Executive Director of the Women Working Group (WWG), continues her advocacy in the Air Bangis region, Pasaman Barat, West Sumatra.
In a special discussion with the Observer on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, Nukila mentioned Jorong Pigogah Patibubur, Air Bangis, West Pasaman, West Sumatra, an area where she recently conducted advocacy for women.
Upon her visit to Air Bangis, Nukila discovered an agrarian conflict, related to the national strategic project (PSN) development plan. According to information from the local community, the initial area for the PSN was only 10,000 hectares, which later expanded to over 30,000 hectares. The PSN project is suspected to involve the construction of an oil refinery, its properties, and other infrastructure.
It is understood that every National Strategic Project (PSN) initiated by the government aims to stimulate economic growth and community welfare. However, in the process of determining the location and acquiring land, the government involves very few to no communities, with a lack of information and studies about the area and its social, cultural, economic, and environmental aspects, resulting in undesirable impacts. The PSN project often resulted in unfavorable impacts and, in some cases, led to conflicts with the local community.
In Air Bangis, various PSN development projects have sparked resistance by the local community, which heavily relies on oil palm plantations for its livelihood. They are concerned that the development of PSN projects will cost them their land and, eventually, their future. They have reported the concerns to both the local and central governments but to no avail or response from the government.
The complex issue of Air Bangis involves multiple stakeholders, including the farming communities, which rely on their primary production and dedicate their lives to the agricultural sector. Data from the National Land Agency (BPN) in 2018 indicates that women only own 15.88 percent of the 44 million land parcels.
According to Nukila, women are the most adversely affected in such agrarian conflicts, as they not only take care of children and husbands but also have the responsibility of managing the land to meet the family’s needs.
In terms of land ownership, women are still under the control of men, contradicting the objectives of agrarian reform and natural resource management, which are to improve the welfare of the Indonesian people. As stated in Law No. 5 of 1960 concerning Basic Agrarian Principles, “Every Indonesian citizen, both male and female, has an equal opportunity to obtain land rights and benefit from its results, both for themselves and their families.”
Given the complexities of the dispute in Air Bangis, IMA’s primary focus is on providing legal knowledge to women. “We educate women about the law, so that they understand their individual rights. We also educate women to form peer groups (to support and assist other women) and to be brave leaders and change agents in their small groups,” Nukila stated.
Eli, a woman who runs a small shop in Jorong Pigogah, said that the Air Bangis community has rejected the PSN project plan since its announcement. Several unknown individuals have frequently come and made threats to the locals. As a member of the community, Eli admitted confusion because she was never involved in the decision-making process.
Another story came from Miftah, who is a high school graduate; she expressed her fear due to the eviction threat. According to Miftah, in Jorong Pigogah, the government only provides elementary and junior high schools. If one wishes to continue to senior high school, one must attend high school in another district, far from home.
Therefore, women in Air Bangis demand the local government provide assurance concerning their land and provide adequate education for school-age children.
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- The West Sumatra local government should promote dialogue, enhance transparency, and involve community participation in the planning and implementation processes of the national strategic projects (PSN). The local government should foster more community empowerment programs to improve economic livelihoods.
- Implementing every National Strategic Project (PSN) at a reasonable pace (not rushing). Conduct social, cultural, and environmental assessments to understand the impact on the surrounding communities.
- Encourage state institutions’ more proactive visits, including the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), and the Ombudsman, to Air Bangis. Seek to establish a mutually-beneficial dialogue between the local administration and the Air Bangis community.
- Involve the community in decision-making processes, seeking approval through more intensive public hearings.
- Advocate for legal and psychosocial assistance for women.
“In the end, the welfare of the people is the government’s goal. Therefore, in order to address the issues of poverty experienced by the people, the government must open up wider economic access for the community,” Nukila concluded. (des)