Gender Issues in the Community Management of Biosecurity in Eastern Indonesia

This chapter aims to identify and discuss the role of women in collective community management of biosecurity activities. These activities are related to women’s ‘empowerment capacity’ to undertake knowledge transfer through sustainable training in the provinces of Bali, Sulawesi, and Papua. Untung (Kebijakan nasional ketahanan hayati, 2007) notes that to encourage people’s awareness of biosecurity issues is important, and that the main process for addressing it is through community management (Flora, Community capitals framework, 2007). The research uses qualitative methods (Creswell, Qualitative inquiry and research design choosing among five traditions, 1998), specifically semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and observation with 82 female leaders and other women involved in agriculture, living at the sites. Data collected during this process was analysed using thematic analysis approaches. In this chapter, I discuss the role of women, gender issues and success stories of the utilization of Farmer Field School (FFS) as they relate to community management of biosecurity. This research also acknowledges that women at all sites participated in a diverse range of social, cultural, spiritual, tourism and agricultural activities, particularly in problem solving and decision making processes, as well as the opportunity to manage their family’s economy. There are representations of the success stories of a high level of female leadership at an organisational level including examples from education training and the PKK (Program Kesejahteraan Keluarga or Family Welfare and Empowerment). The initial findings from this research indicates that women participate in the transfer of knowledge between local and outside communities, especially in the behaviour, practices and technology associated with agriculture.