The archipelago of over 17,000 islands is especially susceptible to climate change: rising sea levels, extreme weather, and erosion jeopardize the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people living in densely populated coastal areas, and the effects of frequent and destructive storms are compounded by prolonged drought. Women in Indonesia experience the brunt of climate disruptions and are therefore best suited to lead in designing solutions. Yet they are governed by strict, patriarchal laws that limit their access to resources and create barriers to their participation in decision-making. In much of the country, women are restricted from owning land or using ancestral forests for farming or other economic livelihoods.

In response, WEA and our Indonesia Program Leads provide training, mentorship, and financing activities to women leaders to restore degraded forests, employ community members in forest-friendly eco-enterprises, and innovate sustainable waste management projects to protect communities and water sources.