_-_Barcode.png "e-ISSN")
Recognizing women’s hidden role in climate action: Lessons from Eastern Indonesia
Abstract
The global energy transition is central to addressing climate change and advancing sustainable development. Achieving a just transition requires attention to social and gender dimensions. Yet, in many rural contexts, women are still positioned as passive recipients rather than active contributors to renewable energy initiatives. This study examines women’s recognition and inclusion in the development of household-scale biogas systems in Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Drawing on feminist political ecology and the energy justice framework, the research explores how gendered divisions of labor, situated knowledge, and local power relations shape women’s participation in renewable energy transitions, particularly in livestock management and household energy practices. Fieldwork in Nenu and Pagal villages used a participatory action research approach, combining in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with women farmers and local stakeholders. Findings show that women’s everyday livestock management—feeding animals, maintaining stalls, and collecting manure—is essential for sustaining household biogas systems. These often-invisible forms of labor position women as key actors in maintaining biodigester feedstock. The study contributes by integrating feminist political ecology and energy justice framework to understand better how gendered labor, knowledge, and power shape participation and recognition in renewable energy initiatives.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Abdelghani, A., Fayegh, S.K., Lund, H. & Sorknǣs, P. (2026) A review on optimization of district energy systems. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 225, 116041. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2025.116041
Asian Development Bank. (2015). Balancing the burden? Desk review of women’s time poverty and infrastructure in Asia and the Pacific. Asian Development Bank.
Atahau, A. D. R., Rahayu, M., Purwaningsih, R., & Indriani, R. (2021). Green microfinance and women empowerment in renewable energy initiatives: Evidence from Indonesia. International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 11(2), 250–258. https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.10865
Barakat, S., Guven, A.F., Abdelaziz, A.Y. & Samy, M.M. (2026) A comprehensive review of electric vehicles and sustainable urban mobility in the Middle East and North Africa. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 225, 116154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2025.116154
Basil, C.V., and Heffron, R. (2025) A systematic review of the intersection between energy justice and human rights. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 221, 115892. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2025.1158295
Beltrán-Alcrudo, D., Arias, M., Gallardo, C., Kramer, S., & Penrith, M. L. (2017). African swine fever: Detection and diagnosis – A manual for veterinarians (FAO Animal Production and Health Manual No. 19). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Benería, L., Berik, G., & Floro, M. (2015). Gender, development and globalization: Economics as if all people mattered (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Cellini, M., Loos, S., Mirenda, C., Pisacane, L., Striebing, C., & Tagliacozzo, S. (2025). Exploring the nexus of gender and energy transitions: A systematic literature review. Energy Research & Social Science, 119, 103887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2024.103887
Chicombo, A.F.F., & Musango, J.K. (2022) Towards a theoretical framework for gendered energy transition at the urban household level: A case of Mozambique. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 157, 112029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2021.112029
Clancy, J., & Dutta, S. (2019). Gender in the transition to sustainable energy for all: From evidence to inclusive policies. ENERGIA, the International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy.
Clancy, J. S., Skutsch, M., & Batchelor, S. (2003). The gender–energy–poverty nexus: Finding the energy to address gender concerns in development. Department for International Development (DFID).
Cornwall, A., & Rivas, A.-M. (2015). From “gender equality” and “women’s empowerment” to global justice: Reclaiming a transformative agenda for gender and development. Third World Quarterly, 36(2), 396–415. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2015.1013341
Creswell, J. W. and Poth, C. N. (2018) Qualitative inquiry & research design choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Dalle, N. S., Tukan, H. D., & Nugraha, E. Y. (2023). Review penggunaan teknologi biogas feses ternak babi untuk mendukung smart village di Kabupaten Manggarai. Jurnal Pertanian dan Peternakan, 1(1), 14–20. https://doi.org/10.36928/jpa.v1i1.1940
Ding, W., Wang, L., Chen, B., Xu, L., Li, H. (2014) Impacts of renewable energy on gender in rural communities of north-west China. Renewable Energy, 69, 180–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2014.03.027
Dioney, M., Ochago, R., Oumaz, E., Lulez, P., Kakinda, M. J., Nyapendi, R., Birungiz, R., & Pyburnx, R. (2020). Gendered perceptions of biosecurity and the gender division of labor in pig farming in Uganda. AgriGender, 5(2), 13–26. https://doi.org/10.19268/JGAFS.522020.2
Do, T. L., Nguyen, T. T., & Grote, U. (2019). Livestock production, rural poverty, and perceived shocks: Evidence from panel data for Vietnam. The Journal of Development Studies, 55(1), 99–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2017.14 08795
ENERGIA. (2019). Gender in the transition to energy for all: From evidence to inclusive policies. ENERGIA, the International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy.
Falcon, P.M. & Errichiello, G. (2025) Energy Justice in the 21st century: Policy interventions and advocacy for a fair energy transition. AIMS Environmental Science, 12(4), 594–614. https://doi.org/10.3934/environsci.2025027
FAO. (2018). World livestock: Transforming the livestock sector through the Sustainable Development Goals – In brief.
FAO. (2019). Women’s access to rural finance: Challenges and opportunities.
FAO. (2020). African swine fever: Detection and diagnosis – A manual for veterinarians (FAO Animal Production and Health Manual No. 19).
Hackforta, S., Saaveb, A., and Wichterich, C. (2025). Nature, care, and (re)productivity: Feminist perspectives on sustainability and the bioeconomy. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 21(1), 2532218. https://doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2025.2532218
Harcourt, W. (2019). Feminist political ecology practices of worlding: Art, communing and the politics of hope in the classroom. International Journal of the Commons, 13(1), 153–174. https://doi.org/10.18352/ijc.929
Harcourt, W., Agostino, A., Elmhirst, R., Gómez, M., & Kotsila, P. (Eds.). (2022). Contours of feminist political ecology. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20928-4
Heffron, R.J. & Sokolowski, M.M. (2024) Resolving energy policy failure: Introducing energy justice as the solution to achieve a just transition. Energy Policy, 187, 114042. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114042
IRENA. (2020). Renewable energy: A gender perspective. International Renewable Energy Agency. https://www.irena.org/publications/2020/Jan/Renewable- Energy-A-Gender-Perspective
Jenkins, K., McCauley, D., Heffron, R., Stephan, H., & Rehner, R. (2016). Energy justice: A conceptual review. Energy Research & Social Science, 11, 174–182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2015.10.004
Johnson, O. W., Han, J. C., Yi, L. A., Mortensen, S., Aung, M. T., Boyland, M., & Resurreccion, B. P. (2020). Intersectionality and energy transitions: A review of gender, social equity, and low-carbon energy. Energy Research & Social Science, 70, 101774. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101774
Khatri-Chhetri, A., Aggarwal, P. K., Joshi, P. K., & Vyas, S. (2020). Farmers’ prioritization of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies. Agricultural Systems, 182, 102843. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2020.102843
Koopman, J. N. (2026). Harvesting uncertainty: Rural Lives in conjuncture: Climate perceptions, neoliberalism, and agrarian struggle in Lombok, Indonesia. [PhD- Thesis, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam]. https://doi.org/10.5463/thesis.1538
Liu, S. & Taleghani, A.D. (2026) Closed-loop geothermal systems: Critical review of technologies, performance enhancement, and emerging solutions. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 225, 116177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2025.116177
Mittal, S., Ahlgren, E.O. & Shukla, P.R. (2018). Barriers to biogas dissemination in India: A review. Energy Policy, 112, 361–370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2017.10.027
Ministry of Social Affairs. (2022). Program Keluarga Harapan (PKH): Implementation report 2021–2022. Government of Indonesia.
Murali, R., and Govindan, M. (2025) Solar threads and social knots: Gender and energy transitions in the weaving community of Varanasi, India. Energy Research & Social Science, 130, 104416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2025.104416
Nightingale, A. J. (2006). The nature of gender: Work, gender, and environment. Environment and Planning D. Society and Space, 24(2), 165–185. https://doi.org/10.1068/d01k
Nhung, P. T. (2021). Impacts of agricultural land acquisition for urbanization on smallholder agriculture and gender issues in affected communes: A case study in Huong Thuy Town, Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam [Doctoral dissertation, Georg-August- Universität Göttingen].
Nugraha, R., Detha, A., & Lamanepa, M. (2022). African swine fever outbreaks and community responses in Eastern Indonesia. Nusa Cendana University Press.
Nugraha, R., Detha, A., & Lamanepa, M. (2023). Local practices and biosecurity risks in traditional pig farming systems in East Nusa Tenggara. Nusa Cendana University Press.
Oktarina, T.N., and Yulianti, A. (2022). The role of women in sustainable development and environmental protection: A discourse of ecofeminism in Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Environmental Law and Sustainable Development, 1(2), 107–138. https://doi.org/10.15294/ijel.v1i1.56776
Park, M.H., Yeo, S., Kim, J.H., Choi, J.H., & Lee, W.J. (2026) Comprehensive review on recent progress in renewable and sustainable energy applications in shipping industry. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 225, 116152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2025.116152
Pachauri, S., & Rao, N. D. (2013). Gender impacts and determinants of energy poverty: Evidence from India. Nature Climate Change, 3(6), 505–510. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1870
Rao, N. D., & Pachauri, S. (2017). Energy access and living standards: Some observations on recent trends. Environmental Research Letters, 12, 025011. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa5b0d
Rappaport, R. A. (1999). Ritual and religion in the making of humanity. Cambridge University Press.
Regional Wood Energy Development Programme (RWEDP). (1997). Wood energy today for tomorrow (WETT): Regional wood energy development programme in Asia.
Ren, W., Guan, Y., Qiu, F., Levin, T. & Heleno, M. (2025) Energy justice and equity: A review of definitions, measures, and practice in policy, planning, and operations. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 222, 115900. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2025.115900
Rocheleau, D., Slayter, B.T., and Wangari, E. (1996). Feminist political ecology: Global issues and local experiences. Routledge.
Rodgers, Y., Tanjeem, N., & Menon, N. (2024). The agricultural sector and women’s work in Asia. In A. Batabyal, Y. Higano, & P. Nijkamp (Eds.), Spatial spillovers: Viewpoints from Asia (pp. 89– 115). Springer.
Rojas, D.R., Kerby, J. & Tarekegne, B. (2025) Energy justice through energy storage: Supporting energy resilience in disadvantaged communities. Current Sustainable/Renewable Energy Reports, 12, 17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40518-025-00260-1
Rose, J. (2024). Renewable innovation and the future of global energy transitions. Energy Policy Journal, 182, 113–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2024.113127
Sardjo, S. (2023). The green encounters: “Common Good” narrative and community struggle in Halimun Salak Corridor, West Java. Antropologi Indonesia, 44(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.7454/jai.v44i2.1025
Sardjo, S., Dharmawan, A.H., Darusman, D. & Wahyuni, E.S. (2022) The agricultural expansion in conservation areas: The case of Gunung Halimun Salak National Park, West Java. Forest and Society, 6(2), 742-762. http://doi.org/10.24259/fs.v6i2.18380
Singh, N. (2023). Gender, environment degradation, and bioenergy trajectories: Eco-feminist perspective. In Leal Filho, W. et al. (Eds.), SDGs in the Asia and Pacific Region. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91262-8_1-1e
Sen, K.K., Karmaker, S.C., Chapman, A.J. & Saha, B.B. (2025) Women’s empowerment in driving the energy transition for sustainable development in developing nations. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 216, 115647. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2025.115647
Sen, X., Zhao, Z., Li, H., Tsubaki, S., Kishimoto, F., Stefanidis, G.D. & Gao, X. (2026) A review on the thermometry of microscopic hot spots induced by microwave energy. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 225, 116160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2025.116160
Situmeang, R., Mazancová, J., & Roubík, H. (2022). Technological, economic, social, and environmental barriers to adoption of small-scale biogas plants: Case of Indonesia. Energies, 15(14), 5105. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15145105
Sovacool, B. K., & Dworkin, M. H. (2015). Energy justice: Conceptual insights and practical applications. Applied Energy, 142, 435–444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.01.002
Sovacool, B.K. (2016) How long will it take? Conceptualizing the temporal dynamics of energy transitions. Energy Research & Social Science, 13, 202–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2015.12.020
Sovacool, B.K., Burke, M., Baker, L., Kotikalapudi, C.K., & Wlokas, H. (2017) New frontiers and conceptual frameworks for energy justice. Energy Policy, 105, 677–691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2017.03.005
Sovacool, B. K., Axsen, J., & Sorrell, S. (2018). Promoting novelty, rigor, and style in energy social science. Energy Research & Social Science, 45, 12–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.07.007
Stoecker, R., & Falcón, A. (2022). Handbook on participatory action research and community development. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Subudhi, C., & Keyoor, K. (2019). Staying alive: Women, ecology, and development [Book review]. Journal of International Women’s Studies, 20(7), 426–427. https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol20/iss7/29
Tukan, H. D., Utama, W. G., & Luju, M. T. (2023). Analisis kelayakan usaha ternak babi di Kecamatan Kuwus, Kabupaten Manggarai Barat. Journal of Animal Science, 8(1), 26–31. https://doi.org/10.32938/ja.v8i1.3810
World Economic Forum (2023). Fostering effective energy transition 2023 edition. https://www.weforum.org/publications/fostering-effective-energy-transition- 2023-edition/
Yang, Y., Xia, S., Huang, P., & Qian, J. (2024). Energy transition: Connotations, mechanisms, and effects. Energy Strategy Reviews, 52, 101320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2024.101320
Yasmin, N. & Grundmann, P. (2020) Home- cooked energy transitions: Women empowerment and biogas-based cooking technology in Pakistan. Energy Policy, 137, 111074. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2019.111074
Yayasan Rumah Energi. (2017). Annual report program BIRU. Hivos–SNV.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21107/sml.v9i1.32293
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2026 Sulastri Sardjo, Elisabeth Yulia Nugraha, Jop Koopman
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Simulacra has been indexed in these prominent indexing services:
Simulacra is licensed under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA and published by the Center for Sociological Studies and Community Development, Department of Sociology, Universitas Trunojoyo Madura, Indonesia.
