Policy innovation on environment and forestry development for supporting gender equality in Indonesia

Abstract

This article discusses how policy innovation was developed for supporting gender equality in the environment and forestry development. The study focuses on how the design thinking-based policy innovation process is carried out and how social infrastructure for policy innovation is built to seek the transformation of understanding from gender-neutral to gender nature. The data were collected through focus group discussions, documentation studies, and in-depth interviews. The data were qualitatively analyzed with inductive thematic analysis method with Needs and Aspirations for a Design and Innovation process (NADI) framework and social infrastructure theory. The results show that policy innovations in environmental and forestry development based on design thinking were carried out through gender-responsive policy innovations that regulate forests to be sustainably managed for the welfare of women, men, and people with disabilities. Moreover, there were also innovative activities called GLEADS (Gender Leader Summit) and TEACH (Training for Eco-gender Activating Champions Hub) embodying National-regional Eco-forestry Hubs, which cooperated to develop innovations to improve gender equality. Multi-actor aspirations and situations in the innovation intervention process lead to a reframing of the innovation policy design process. This impacted the reframing of social infrastructure and changes in intervention treatment according to the management level.