Sukabumi, April 24, 2025 – Wicitra Diwasasri, a researcher from Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia, was a speaker at a discussion forum titled “Gender Justice and Social Inclusion in Energy Transition,” organized by Rumah Energi on April 24, 2025, held in a hybrid format from Pelabuhan Ratu, Sukabumi, West Java. Other speakers included representatives from PT PLN Indonesia Power, the Sukabumi Regency Government, local communities, and various stakeholders.
The discussion aimed to promote gender justice in the energy transition, particularly in areas affected by the operations of the coal-fired Pelabuhan Ratu Power Plant (PLTU), which is slated for early retirement under the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) program, specifically in Pelabuhan Ratu, Sukabumi, West Java. The forum also presented findings from a Rumah Energi study on gender equality issues in the Pelabuhan Ratu PLTU area, focusing on affected villages such as Jayanti, Citarik, Cidadap, Loji, and Pelabuhan Ratu Subdistrict. The findings highlighted gender disparities marked by unequal power relations, stigmatization and stereotyping of women, women’s double burden (domestic and public roles), limited access to formal education for women, and violence against women.
Mainstreaming Gender, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) in Energy Transition
Wicitra emphasized the urgency of mainstreaming Gender, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) in the energy transition. Studies show that women are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of energy-related activities and energy poverty (Pueyo, Maestre & Robinson, 2019). Women with disabilities are more vulnerable than men, whether disabled or not (Okyeren & Lin, 2023). The United Nations notes that rural women face worse conditions than rural men or urban women due to unequal access to productive resources, assets, and public services (education, health, sanitation).
Regarding the GEDSI framework in the energy transition sector, PWYP Indonesia integrates concepts such as energy justice by Jenkins et al. (2016), Access, Control, Participation, and Benefits (AKPM) developed by the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (KPPPA), intersectionality, inclusion, anti-violence principles, and related principles like participation and control in decision-making, economic justice, access to natural resources, education, and information, socio-cultural integration, and complaint and remedy mechanisms.
Wicitra highlighted the importance of meaningful participation, as defined by Constitutional Court Decision No. 91/PUU-XVIII/2020, which states that meaningful participation is the right of the public to have their opinions heard, considered, and responded to. Therefore, adequate access, accommodations, and facilities are needed for vulnerable groups like women and people with disabilities to actively participate in decision-making spaces. A lesson from the Luoi Hydropower Plant (PLTA) case in Vietnam showed that excluding women from decision-making processes led to impractical outcomes, such as building bathrooms outside homes despite women’s preference for indoor facilities due to their high dependence on sanitation access.
Wicitra also stressed the need for affirmative action in employment and education. Women’s participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and the energy sector remains low, with a persistent gender pay gap. Economic justice, linked to remedies, involves ensuring adequate compensation and recovery for communities whose livelihoods are affected by energy projects. Women are often overlooked in compensation processes.
Wicitra provided examples of monitoring tools or questions derived from GEDSI principles related to the energy transition, including: Are accessible training schemes and materials available, such as braille for the visually impaired, sign language interpretation, and other assistive devices? What facilities and infrastructure are provided to ensure the participation of vulnerable groups (timing, frequency, escorts, accommodations, transportation)? Are there cases of domestic violence resulting from land evictions that affect livelihoods or income? Are there improvements or enhancements to public facilities in the surrounding areas during project implementation?
Meanwhile, Robert David Carniago from PT PLN Indonesia Power discussed women’s leadership and their strategic roles in the power generation industry. He noted that the industry is still male-dominated, with 96% of the 860 workers being men and only 4% (31 workers) being women. However, women have opportunities for strategic roles. PLN has internal policies promoting gender equality, including the Srikadi Task Force Initiative under Directors’ Decree No. 9689.K/DIR/2024, aimed at mainstreaming gender within Indonesia Power, developing gender-based programs and strategies, and fostering an inclusive and gender-equal work culture. (WD/AN)