Ecobiz.asia – The implementation of the National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change (RAN GPI) 2024–2030 is considered to lack clear accountability and monitoring mechanisms. Its reporting platform remains inaccessible, gender- and climate-responsive budget tagging has not been consistently implemented across the 22 ministries and institutions responsible for its implementation, while participation indicators remain limited to counting attendance.
These concerns were raised during a media discussion entitled “Amid the Haze: Women’s Voices on the Road to COP31” in Jakarta on Wednesday (28 October 2026). Civil society organizations highlighted that climate policies have yet to adequately address the needs of women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, and other vulnerable groups.
These issues have emerged amid the ongoing impacts of forest and land fires (karhutla). According to indicative burned-area modelling by Yayasan Madani Berkelanjutan, the estimated burned area across Indonesia between January and September 2026 reached 2.54 million hectares, with a significant increase recorded in August and September.
Around 50.7 percent of the indicative burned areas were located within oil palm plantation concession areas and Forest Utilization Business Permits (PBPH). The largest affected areas were recorded in Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, and South Papua. The impacts of forest and land fires, including haze, have placed additional burdens on women, children, and vulnerable groups in affected areas.
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Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia researcher Wicitra Diwasasri said that one of the fundamental problems with the RAN GPI is the absence of a publicly accessible reporting mechanism. The reporting platform referenced in the document is inaccessible, and no information has been provided regarding an alternative platform or its replacement.
PWYP’s review of the 2026 Work Plans and Budgets (RKA) also found that, among the 22 ministries and institutions responsible for implementation, only the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources explicitly integrates gender and climate budget tagging. Furthermore, there has been no public disclosure regarding the establishment of the National Team for Accelerating the Implementation of RAN GPI, which was agreed upon by the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (KPPPA) and other ministries and institutions in October 2025.
Wicitra also highlighted the absence of measurable annual targets and implementation timelines.
“The RAN GPI action plan only specifies a general implementation period of 2024–2030. Without annual targets and clear timelines, the public cannot effectively assess progress on key priorities, such as the provision of disaggregated data. KPPPA, together with the responsible ministries and institutions, must immediately make the implementation timeline and monitoring dashboard publicly accessible,” Wicitra said.
Another concern is that participation indicators continue to measure attendance rather than the quality of engagement. PWYP urges the government to ensure that women and vulnerable groups have the right to be heard, have their views duly considered, and receive explanations regarding the decisions made. These principles are consistent with Constitutional Court Decision No. 91/PUU-XVIII/2020.
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Knowledge Creation Manager at Madani Berkelanjutan, Anggalia Putri Permatasari, said that RAN GPI must be strengthened through a solid legal framework and budgetary commitments to ensure it does not remain merely a formal policy document. She also highlighted the threats faced by women environmental defenders who protect the territories and resources under their stewardship.
“Climate consultations must be meaningful. When women and Indigenous Peoples reject land acquisition or land release, their voices must be taken into account. In addition, the state has an obligation to guarantee protection for women environmental defenders, who frequently face intimidation and violence when defending the territories they depend on,” Anggalia said.
From the perspective of persons with disabilities, Nora Sondang from the Indonesian Association of Women with Disabilities (HWDI) highlighted the limited accessibility of public information concerning climate policies. She called for persons with disabilities to be involved as decision-making actors and provided with reasonable accommodations tailored to their individual needs.
“Nothing about us without us. Persons with disabilities must be involved as decision-making actors, not merely as passive listeners. The government must provide reasonable accommodations, ranging from screen-reader-friendly document formats and audio content to physical accessibility and programmes that accommodate the diversity of disabilities,” Nora said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Executive Director of Aksi! for Gender, Social and Ecological Justice, Risma Umar, urged the government to ensure that climate finance directly reaches affected communities, including through the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
“Access to climate finance, such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF), must not be monopolized by corporations or intermediary institutions claiming to represent communities. Ahead of COP31, the Indonesian government must organize inclusive public consultations to develop its negotiation positions, ensuring that women’s voices are recognized as those of leaders and decision-makers in shaping climate policies,” Risma said.
Ahead of COP31, scheduled to take place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9–20 November 2026, PWYP Indonesia and its civil society coalition have called on the government to regularly disclose RAN GPI implementation progress through a public dashboard or quarterly reports in disability-accessible formats. They have also called for a stronger legal framework through a presidential regulation that clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of ministries and institutions, as well as their budgetary obligations.
Other recommendations include aligning RAN GPI with the Belém Gender Action Plan (BGAP) 2026–2034, measuring participation based on the quality of engagement, and ensuring direct and accessible climate finance for women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable communities.