Jakarta – Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia held a focused discussion titled “Strengthening GEDSI Implementation in Climate Action Towards COP31” in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on 15 September 2026. The discussion examined progress on Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) in Indonesia’s climate policy, particularly the implementation of the National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change (RAN-GPI) 2024–2030 and the national agenda toward the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The event formed part of PWYP Indonesia’s process of preparing a policy brief reflecting on RAN-GPI implementation and on strengthening GEDSI in Indonesia’s climate agenda. Speakers included Wicitra Diwasasri of PWYP Indonesia, Yosi Amelia of MADANI Berkelanjutan, and Andriyeni of Solidaritas Perempuan. The discussion was also attended by civil society organizations and groups working on gender, disability, energy, environment, and social inclusion.
“In today’s meeting, we will focus on GEDSI issues toward COP31. PWYP is preparing a policy brief focused on GEDSI developments after COP30, including progress on RAN-GPI, which Indonesia has had since 2024. The hope is that the results of today’s discussion will become joint action when we attend COP31,” said Mouna Wasef of PWYP Indonesia in opening the discussion.
Information on RAN-GPI implementation remains limited
In her opening presentation, Wicitra Diwasasri explained that RAN-GPI has existed since 2024, whereas the Belém Gender Action Plan (BGAP) emerged only after COP30 in Belém, Brazil, in 2025. Therefore, the implementation of both RAN-GPI and BGAP needs continued monitoring. A prominent problem is the still-limited information on RAN-GPI implementation, including monitoring and reporting.
RAN-GPI covers seven priority sectors and addresses vulnerable groups and intersectionality. However, information from ministries and agencies on its implementation remains scarce. “Only the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) includes explicit gender and climate elements, so we still have to guess,” Wicitra said.
She added that the application of intersectionality also needs strengthening, including by providing disaggregated data. Updates on RAN-GPI from the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (KPPPA) have so far mostly taken the form of guidelines, while implementation progress remains unclear.
PWYP Indonesia called for consolidation among KPPPA, responsible ministries and agencies, strategic partners, and representatives of vulnerable groups to develop a RAN-GPI implementation timeline. It also called for a periodic monitoring and evaluation dashboard, representation of grassroots groups in the national delegation to COP31, and a reporting framework for RAN-GPI implementation.
In her response, Risma Umar of Aksi! for Justice said the indicators used need to be clarified to capture the real conditions of vulnerable groups, including the actions taken and the budgets allocated. She also urged that RAN-GPI be reviewed to incorporate the BGAP perspective. Meanwhile, Ika Agustina of Kalyanamitra asked about the possibility of implementing regulations under RAN-GPI and about using the policy brief as advocacy material.
GEDSI in climate policy and the energy transition
In the next session, Yosi Amelia of MADANI Berkelanjutan discussed “GEDSI Gaps in Climate Policy and Energy Transition within the COP31 Framework.” According to Yosi, GEDSI is important for determining the effectiveness of climate action and the quality of just transition governance. Climate change impacts are not felt equally by all groups, so they need to be examined through an intersectional approach.
Indonesia already has various climate policy instruments, including the Enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (Enhanced NDC), the Second NDC, Forest and Other Land Use (FOLU) Net Sink 2030, the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) and its Comprehensive Investment and Policy Plan (CIPP), the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN), the National Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPN), and RAN-GPI 2024–2030. These policies, however, still operate through separate institutional channels.
GEDSI principles already appear in several documents, but they have not been fully translated into budgeting, financing, project selection, implementation, or monitoring and evaluation. “GEDSI needs to be positioned as an indicator of the quality of just transition governance, not merely a formality to meet policy requirements,” Yosi said.
She called for GEDSI to be applied across the entire policy cycle: planning, target- and indicator-setting, budgeting, project implementation, and monitoring, reporting, complaints, and accountability. Strengthening is also needed through the involvement of the RAN-GPI Working Group within JETP institutions, the integration of GEDSI into Climate Budget Tagging, the disaggregation of data by gender, age, and disability, and gender-based tenure screening before project approval.
In the discussion, Kartika of the Indonesian Christian Association of the Blind (PETKI) said commitment to GEDSI is increasingly visible, but implementation mechanisms remain a problem. “To be honest, from the disability side, we are still the ones left behind. We are still merely objects protected by the state, not subjects who share responsibility,” Kartika said.
Ika added the importance of seeing women as people with agency and capacity, not only as a vulnerable group. Risma also argued that climate policy still often treats women as victims, so the response tends to take the form of assistance. In reality, women have local knowledge, resilience, and the ability to lead community action. “Policymakers fail to see that women, besides being victims, also have strength. That local knowledge and capacity exist,” Risma said.
Rina Prasarani of the Indonesian Association of Women with Disabilities (HWDI) added that the interaction of policies, systems, physical barriers, access to information, and social attitudes also produces the vulnerability of persons with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation and the principle of “no one left behind” therefore need to be part of GEDSI implementation.
Ensuring meaningful participation of grassroots women
Andriyeni of Solidaritas Perempuan discussed “Meaningful Participation of Grassroots Women and Movement Demands Towards COP31.” She stressed that community participation cannot be reduced to mere presence in consultation forums. Communities have the right to be heard, to have their views considered, and to receive explanations of decisions that are taken.
According to Andriyeni, projects labeled as green do not automatically guarantee justice. Energy transition projects can still affect community land, water, and resources if the protection of vulnerable groups is neglected. Ecological damage can also increase women’s workloads, especially when access to food and water becomes more difficult. Public consultations therefore need to be safe and accessible, with transparent information, language that communities understand, and times and locations that take into account the conditions of women and persons with disabilities. Complaint mechanisms also need to be safe, easy to access, and protective against retaliation.
In the discussion, Marta of the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR) highlighted developments in JETP, particularly the second phase and the JETP Delivery Unit. She said these developments need continued scrutiny, including on national interests and ownership in the energy transition process.
Closing the discussion, participants emphasized that the GEDSI challenge is not simply a lack of commitment. The core problem is how that commitment is translated into institutions, budgets, data, participation, implementation, and accountability mechanisms. RAN-GPI 2024–2030 can be one instrument for translating GEDSI principles into climate action and a just transition. With stronger implementation and meaningful participation, the agenda leading up to COP31 would not only address international commitments but also ensure that affected groups have space to participate in and influence policy at both national and local levels.
Author: Zaky Raihan Prayudha
Reviewer: Mouna Wasef