Other publication / Published on Magdalene

The article highlights the lived realities of Indigenous women in Papua as large-scale food estate projects framed as national food security solutions transform their sources of livelihood and everyday food systems. It brings attention to the experiences of mama Papua, whose survival has long depended on forests, sago, and locally rooted ecological knowledge.

It reveals a growing disconnect between state-driven development approaches and community-based food systems. While the government views land as a resource for maximizing production, Indigenous women understand it as a living space that provides food, medicine, and cultural continuity. This difference in perspective creates significant challenges when forests are cleared for monoculture agriculture.

The piece illustrates how these changes disproportionately impact women. As natural food sources become scarce, they must travel farther, spend more time securing food, and adapt to unfamiliar economic systems. This increases their workload while simultaneously eroding traditional systems that once ensured food sovereignty and community resilience.

Despite these challenges, the article underscores the vital role of Indigenous women as knowledge holders and caretakers of sustainable food systems. Their practices especially around sago and forest management offer alternative models that are more aligned with environmental balance and long-term resilience.

In the end, the article calls for a shift in how food security is understood and implemented. It emphasizes the need to recognize Indigenous women’s roles, protect ecological systems, and ensure that development policies are inclusive, just, and grounded in local realities.

Read the full article on Magdalene ↗

DEEP EnGender Author

Other publication / Published on Konde.co

The article tells the story of women in rural Balodano who sustain their households and communities through care work that often goes unseen and unrecognized. It brings forward lived experiences of women who, in the absence of stable male income due to migration, step into the role of primary breadwinners while continuing to carry the full weight of domestic responsibilities.

It highlights how these women navigate a “double burden,” balancing income-generating activities such as farming and informal work with unpaid care duties like childcare, elder care, and household management. Despite their central role in maintaining family wellbeing and local economies, their contributions are rarely acknowledged within formal economic systems or policy frameworks.

At the same time, the piece emphasizes women’s resilience and agency. Through their everyday labor, they ensure food security, sustain social networks, and keep communities functioning in the face of economic uncertainty. Their knowledge and adaptive strategies reflect a deep understanding of local conditions and survival mechanisms.

However, the article also draws attention to persistent structural inequalities that limit women’s access to resources, financial support, and decision-making spaces. It calls for stronger recognition of care work and the need for gender-responsive policies that support and redistribute these responsibilities more fairly.

Ultimately, the article underscores that recognizing women as “invisible breadwinners” is essential for advancing gender justice and building more inclusive and sustainable community economies.

Read the full article on Konde.co ↗

DEEP EnGender Author