The highest point of the Women National Assembly (Saturday, 20/4) is the collaboration that developed since 2023. The Assembly receives 477 inputs from villages, 162 inputs from districts/cities, and 35 inputs from the provinces, that are integrated into the National Medium-Term Development Plan 2025-2045. The Women National Assembly 2024 discussed nine agenda, which constitute development priorities.
The presentation about poverty discussed social protection which includes the primary agenda for poverty alleviation. Measures to prevent and reduce risks of social shocks include women’s ability to access social protection. Here, however, there are obviously three challenges. The first involves data which is not yet integrated. There are integrated social welfare data, population data, and sosio-economic registry.
Yet these remained separate (sector-based), and not yet integrated. Then, there is the issue of double data – i.e. civil service employees who access integrated social welfare data. The second is about social protection outreach, which is by no means comprehensive, or integrated, as it remains sector-based, and failing to reach individuals with specific needs, as the data is based on household card. Examples include people with disability not able to fully access assistive devices and social protection, and children born with disability not being able to access livelong therapy. The problem revolves around the challenges faced by women with regards to access, and hence should be addressed by taking into account access, control, participation and benefits.
A number of women are unable to access the central administration – i.e. women in nursing homes, women in prison, women in traditional societies, trans-gender, the elderly, and women who live in remote areas. The Women National Assembly points out that the Gender, Equality, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) approach has not been utilized in poverty alleviation.
Nine factors are responsible for the problem, which we are trying to unpack to find alternative solution, and to draw recommendation(s).
The story of excluded women inspires recommendation to the government, ministries and offices regarding poverty and the need for poverty alleviation by expanding social protection outreach to women with diverse identities, and develop it into action plan – with key focus on the need to expand social protection outreach to include women with their diverse identities and vulnerabilities. Better policy includes budgeting to expand administrative outreach. There are a number of inputs. The first is a review of policy on social protection, particularly with regards to the criteria of beneficiaries by using GEDSI analysis, diversity of identify and women’s vulnerability, and the need for social protection. The second is a review of program monitoring and evaluation for social protection by using GEDSI perspective. The input targets the Ministry of Social Affairs, the National Planning Board, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Population and Civil Registry Office.
Disaggregated social protection data (to integrate women’s vulnerability) is critical for improving the second program (Governance). The data must also incorporate women’s participation, data verification and validation for social protection, and incorporation of GEDSI perspective in order to increase social protection, with the long-term aim of women empowerment and welfare. (Astuti)
