Formulating Innovative Policies for Advancing Gender Equality in Rural Development: A Focus on the Agricultural Sector in Indonesia

^1,2,4 Department of International Relations, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Muhammadiyah University Yogyakarta, Indonesia
³ Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia

^* Corresponding author: nurazizah@umy.ac.id

Abstract

Gender inequality is not only a crucial issue at the global level, but also at the national and village levels. The position of the Village is very crucial because the Village is the lowest government institution that is directly in contact with the community, so the village is the key success of development.There has been a lot of research and publications related to policies aimed at realizing gender equality at the global and national level, but very little has been discussed at the village level, especially in Indonesia. This article is expected to fill this gap, and aims to develop policy innovations to realize gender equality in Indonesia’s Rural Development. This research uses qualitative methods, with primary and secondary data. Primary data was obtained through observation, the author’s participation in village women’s activities, and interviews with village administrators. Secondary data was obtained by reviewing reputable journals and official Indonesian government documents. The findings of this research indicate that opportunities to create policy innovations at the village level are increasingly open with the passing of Law no. 6 of 2014 concerning Villages which encourages women’s participation in rural development and the disbursement of village funds. This innovation was continued with the launch of Village SDGs in 2020 and Women-Friendly and Child-Care Villages (DRPPA) in 2022.