Online Session A1

Interwoven Economies : Social Dynamics and Livelihood Strategies

Asymmetry and interdependency in Indonesian artisan women weaver supplier-social entrepreneur engagements 

Julita Oetojo 

This paper investigates asymmetrical but interdependent relationships and its ethical consequences in Indonesian artisan women weaver supplier-social entrepreneur engagements. We consider the possible power imbalance between weavers who create traditional textiles and their business partners. We capture values, attitudes, and beliefs that underpin such complex and interdependent engagements. More specifically, we identify four asymmetrical and interdependent relationship types: Garuda, Barong, Rama Sinta, Ganesha. Grounded in a theoretical framework informed by asymmetry and interdependency, we propose an Engagement Model that shows the dynamics of the four complex relationship types and its outcomes. The article provides the implications for practice and directors for further research. 

From homemakers to bread earners: Rural women’s ‘double burden’ in gig economy 

Yixin Liang, Qian Gong, He Zhang

Traditional gender norms in Chinese society dictate that women look after the domestic responsibilities such as house chores and care for the family while men go out to work as the main bread earners (“nan zhu wai, nü zhu nei”). Since 1950s when Chinese Communist Party came to power, women were given full entry into the labour force. However, domestic responsibility continues to fall on women, who end up carrying the double-burden. While much of the research focuses on this gendered labour divisions in urban households, not much is done on rural women. With reform and opening up, gig economy offers opportunities for rural married women to engage in farm work, carry out reproductive duties, as well as participate in flexible paid employment such as work as a migrant labourer in a factory. Through in-depth interviews with eight married rural women in northern China’s Shanxi Province, this paper looks at the complex roles rural women play in the reform era economy. It argues that the while flexible gig economy allows women to contribute to family income, this does not necessarily enhance women’s status at home. Instead, most of them were increasingly forced to carry the double burden just like their urban counterpart. 

Livelihood strategies of small-scale farmers under food crisis: Case studies of East Kalimantan and West Sumatra, Indonesia 

Mariko Urano

Based on the interviews and participant observation in the provinces of East Kalimantan and West Sumatra, Indonesia, this paper examines the livelihood strategies of small farmers under the global food crisis, caused by COVID-19, War in Ukraine and climate changes.   

Facing the food crisis, neo-liberal scholars claim that innovations and further integration of small farmers into the global industrialized food systems would contribute to stable food production.  Agro-ecologists argue that high-degree of concentration of global food systems has caused the crisis, calling for shorter agricultural supply chains and a higher degree of community food sovereignty.   

Many local Dayak farmers in East Kalimantan have shifted from cocoa to oil palm plantations for better income, but increased dependency on the concentrated food systems.  Small-scale oil palm farmers in West Sumatra suffer from price fluctuations in the international commodity market under current food crisis.  In other community in West Sumatra, local farmers produce crops for the sale at the local market, but frequent price drops occur due to lack of coordination among local producers.  Examining the cases, we investigate how the small-scale farmers respond to global food crisis, and what are the appropriate policies to address the challenges faced by the farmers. 

Raising the Minimum Legal Age to Curb Child Marriage: The Role of Women Ulama Congress in Indonesia 

Hilda Kemala 

This study was conducted to explore reasons behind Indonesia’s successful passing of law revision to raise the minimum age of marriage. Protective laws oftentimes face difficulties to be enacted as there are oppositions on traditional religious grounds. As country with the 8th highest number of child marriages in the world, Indonesia’s revision on the minimum age of marriage for girls from 16 to 19 is worth to be explored. Through examinations on constitutional courts data and interviews with relevant NGO and government actors, this study aims to dissect domestic factors enabling the marriage law revision in this Muslim-majority country. It is argued that from 2017, there was a growing commitment by the Indonesian government to eliminate child marriage. Domestic forces are spearheaded by NGOs on women’s rights and supported by gender-friendly Islamic figures (ulama). By deploying women ulama in the fight against child marriage, there was a growing awareness of existence of women ulama which introduce more feminist interpretation of Islam in Indonesia. Therefore, the government’ s top-down approach to end child marriage by implementing protective laws is a result made possible through support from women’s rights NGOs and women ulama group’s faith-based advocacy.