Newsletter articles

DTE's quarterly newsletter provides information on ecological justice in Indonesia.

To get on the mailing list for e-updates with links to the latest articles or PDF file of the full newsletter, click in the green box on the homepage.

The Bahasa Indonesia list offers links to selected articles from each newsletter issue.

To get on our mailing list for hard copies (£10 a year, English newsletter only) send a request to dte@gn.apc.org.

DTE publications

The impact on women

Down to Earth No 64 March 2005

Far more women, children and the elderly died in the quake-tsunami than teenagers and men. In Lambada village, there were only 105 survivors from a population of over 2,100; of these only 5 were women. This is not atypical. The overall gender balance in Aceh may have been changed by 20% or more.

The reasons why so many women died may never be known. Many stayed to save their children when the first tsunami struck. Others could not run fast enough to higher ground while carrying babies and toddlers.

Non-existence within existence: a case study of the excessive burden placed on women peasants in two villages in the Halimun Ecosystem

Down to Earth No 63 November 2004

By Ulfa Hidayati, RMI (The Indonesian Institute for Forest and Environment). (Abridged translation by DTE)

The capitalist economy has dominated ecological, social and cultural aspects of local peoples' lives in the Halimun ecosystem which covers part of Bogor, Sukabumi and Lebak districts, West Java.

Yosepha Alomang - a Papuan woman fighting for human and environmental rights

Down to Earth No 63 November 2004

The indigenous Amungin human rights defender, Yosepha Alomang, grew up in the shadow of the huge Freeport/Rio Tinto gold and copper mine and under Indonesian military oppression in West Papua.

Resources: women and environment

Down to Earth No 63 November 2004

International

Amnesty International's violence against women campaign www.amnesty.org.uk/svaw/vaw/
International Women and Mining Network iwam.net/
IWBN: Indigenous Women's Biodiversity Network.

Women, land and natural resources

Down to Earth No 63 November 2004

Women in Indonesia are disadvantaged by poverty and marginalised by the development process. Control over the natural resources that sustain their lives remains largely out of their hands.

Ngata Toro: women in customary decision-making system

Down to Earth No 63 November 2004

The following is an abridged translation from an article in Jurnal Perempuan 25/Oct/04: 'Di Ngata Toro Perempuan Terlibat Dalam Pengambilan Keputusan'. It offers a positive view of women's roles in one indigenous society.

Women play an important role in the decision-making process of the Ngata Toro people of Central Sulawesi.

Women and Mining Conference demands justice for women

Down to Earth No 63 November 2004

Mining has a disproportionate and destructive impact on women, including indigenous women and women miners, bringing serious social and environmental problems, creating poverty and continuing to show disrespect for indigenous cultures, customary laws and rights.