Gita, Chairperson of DESBUMI, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara

Abstract

Gita's story is part of a peer-reviewed edited volume of women's life stories that draws on detailed ethnographic research of village women's lived experiences and how they, individually and collectively, have taken action to influence village development in Indonesia's multi-level governance structure under the new Village Law in Indonesia. The analysis identifies the processes of women's empowerment, their involvement in grassroots women's collective action, engagement with civil society organisations, and how women influence village institutions, policies, development spending and priorities, and new projects as well as social norms in communities.

Gita is a young university graduate and Head of Villages that Care for Migrant Workers (DESBUMI) in a village in Central Lombok. In 2014, Gita was approached to help Panca Karsa Association Mataram (PPK) to collect information about villagers' migration. This data was used to campaign for the creation of a DESBUMI, a village-level initiative program created by Migrant CARE to advocate for and support migrant workers and their families. As Head of DESBUMI in this village, Gita has increased her awareness of social issues and was influential in successfully lobbying for a Village Regulation on the Protection of Migrant Workers. Her story illustrates how involvement in participatory data collection and policy advocacy and change led her to have the self-belief and assurance to pursue her teaching career in a disadvantaged community.