Jakarta – The National Coordinator of Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia, Aryanto Nugroho, was a guest speaker in a discussion entitled Why and How Does Gender Mainstreaming Affect the Extractive Industry Market? This discussion was organized by Women in Mining & Energy (WIME) on January 27, 2023, in South Jakarta. The forum aims to emphasize understanding gender issues from the perspective of regulators, business actors, and civil society by providing an overview of gender issues in the extractive sector as a vital reference for providing policy recommendations, discussing possible affirmative action plans for the private sector and government agencies in the context of gender mainstreaming.
Aside from Aryanto, the event also invited Rina Handayani, Subcoordinator of Coal Dispute and Labor Facilitation, Directorate of Coal Business Development, Directorate General of Mineral and Coal (DG), Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) as a resource person representing the Government; Emilia K. Sitompul, Division Head of Corporate Communication & CSR, PT ABM Investama, TBK. and Meilyn Tan, Lead Diversity & Inclusion – Asia, PT Thiess Contractor Indonesia, representing business actors.
Rina Handayani conveyed how the Government, especially the Directorate General of Mineral and Coal, and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, compiled regulations and policies related to gender, including their implementation in the field. Rina also said that the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources had supported the performance of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiatives (EITI), such as providing disaggregated data for the publication of Indonesia’s EITI report. Meanwhile, Emilia K. Sitompul and Meilyn Tan said that currently, several companies are very aware of gender mainstreaming and have implemented it in company operations, including when developing programs that intersect with the community.
Aryanto conveyed gender mainstreaming efforts in the extractive sector through the implementation of EITI Indonesia. In the latest EITI Standard 2019, EITI implementing countries are required to fulfill some requirements related to gender, such as providing labor disaggregated data and its role, providing easily accessible information, making gender and extractive issues a “public debate,” and providing documents related to improving gender mainstreaming policies.
The discussion is critical, considering gender mainstreaming has not been fully implemented in the extractive sector. Women should have equal access to employment, education, and participation. Women must be involved in the decision-making process that affects their lives. Gender-responsive policies are essential to ensure that analysis, training, and procedures in the extractive industry not only meet the needs of women but also improve their welfare.