Gender Equality in Oil Palm Plantations: A Study on The Role of Gender Committees

Abstract

The oil palm plantation industry is inseparable from the involvement of women as an important part of clearing land, conducting oil palm nurseries, planting seedlings, fertilizing, and spraying. Given this, it was suggested by the management of a company in the industry to form a gender committee. Data were obtained through in-depth interviews with informants and key informants by purposive sampling, field observations, and focus group discussions. This study aim ed to explore the gender committee in palm oil companies and the mechanisms for its formation, the work function of the gender committee in relation to gender equality, and the implementation of the gender committee work program. The results found that the gender committee was formed through a decision letter from management with a structure that varies according to the needs of the company but the management was based on appointment. There is no gender committee; it can be seen from the work programs that have been carried out or will be carried out only in the form of routines such as meetings and monthly meetings whose discussions are not about evaluating work programs. Keywords: Gender Equality; Gender Committee; Women Workers; Oil Palm Plantations.