Although a quota system for women in Parliament was passed in 2003, even after 15 years women’s representation in Parliament has only reached 18%. Political parties remained uncooperative to women, mostly relegating women to fulfill administrative responsibilities. Our work at WYDII to empower women in the political sphere is crucial for improving women’s political representation in Indonesia.
Women and Youth Development Institute of Indonesia
Women and Youth Development Institute of Indonesia
Surabaya
WYDII advances rights for women in Indonesia through research, trainings, and education campaigns that promote women in politics, youth in leadership capacities, human rights, ending violence against women, and protecting the environment.
Partner Focus Areas
Women's representation in policymaking and governance
Engaging youth in development issues
Campaign for women's and human rights advocacy
IT for women's inclusion and capacity-building
Partnership Highlights
Partner since 2013
Training on leadership and human rights advocacy
Political participation for women and young leaders
Adaptation of WLP manuals and documentaries into Bahasa Indonesian
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WYDII organized a march and rally against gender-based violence during the 2016 16 Days of Activism global campaign.
About WYDII
Several women’s rights activists, artists, and scholars started the Women and Youth Development Institute of Indonesia (WYDII) in August 2009. Based in Surabaya, Indonesia, WYDII was founded to empower women and youth, to value their individuality, and to facilitate their active membership in society. Since 2009, WYDII has conducted training workshops in civic education, environmental awareness, participatory leadership, media engagement, and election campaigning – for more than 800 women and young people.
Since WYDII joined the WLP partnership in 2013, WYDII has been able to use WLP support and funding to expand its advocacy and programming, extend its networks nationally and internationally, and participate in WLP trainings on institutional capacity building and the fundamentals of human rights and women’s leadership. WYDII works primarily in the country's official language, Indonesian.
Working with diverse constituencies and building alliances is a key part of WLP’s programming for training trainers.
WYDII organized a march and rally against gender-based violence during the 2016 16 Days of Activism global campaign.
Recent Accomplishments
- WYDII’s pilot project to increase women’s participation in village government has resulted in a 10% increase in budgeting for new projects relating to women’s inclusion in village programs. There has also been a significant rise in the number of human development programs.
- From 2009-2014, WYDII trained over 500 female legislative candidates in preparation for general elections. More than 10% of WYDII participants won elected seats
Organizational Programs and Activities
Women’s Political Participation
Young women and men learn about information and communications technology in a WYDII youth workshop in Surabaya.
- WYDII has several initiatives to increase the capabilities and decision-making capacity of women political leaders. WYDII conducts workshops for women political candidates and emerging leaders—including rural women and youth—on political participation, leadership, and using information technology and social media to mobilize campaigns.
- The Suara Kita program, “Our Voice,” trains women politicians in how to use information technology, and in particular SMS technology, to engage in participatory planning and budgeting.
- WYDII is sponsoring a research project that measures the accomplishments of women in parliament in East Java. While there is currently a 30% participation quota for women in parliament, this quota is facing a great deal of opposition. WYDII provides capacity building skills for female parliamentarians to hone their policy making and political skills.
Youth and Tech for Social Change
- In collaboration with the Parliamentary Centre of Canada, WYDII is training youth in how to use social media and information technology for social change.
Women’s rights and leadership trainers from across Indonesia gather at a WLP Training of Trainers workshop to share their training and facilitation experiences.
Women’s Rights
- WYDII conducts numerous programs to educate women and youth about women’s rights and human rights. In particular, its trainings raise awareness about how to combat violence against women and to combat radicalization. WYDII integrates lessons from international laws and agreements, local laws, and Islamic texts in its trainings.
- Since May 2016, WYDII has coordinated a network of female and male activists to advance human rights in Indonesia. The network conducts activities such as holding discussions on women’s rights legislation, compiling reports of human rights violations, monitoring the selection process of the Human Rights Commissioner, and lobbying members of parliament to ensure a transparent and legitimate election process.
- In collaboration with the Norwegian Human Rights Fund (NHRF), WYDII is implementing a project to support women’s human rights defenders in the provinces of Java and North Sulawesi. The project provides capacity building and travel funds for female activists to carry out human rights advocacy and lobbying activities.
Advocacy for Local Regulation of Gender Sensitive Natural Disaster Management
- WYDII is collaborating with the Association of People Voice (SUAR Kediri) to bring women’s needs and voices to the planning for natural disaster relief in the Kediri District. WYDII particularly strives to engage youth in development issues and in preserving the environment.
Research Project on Family Law
- WYDII is in the planning stages of a project on reforming family law in Indonesia, to be organized in collaboration with Airlangga University in East Java.
21
%
The percentage of seats held by women in the lower and upper houses of Parliament in Indonesia. The World Bank