Making women visible

Activist Nani Zulminarni is the head of female-headed household empowerment organisation PEKKA.

PEKKA works with 1300 women’s groups throughout Indonesia to strengthen women’s social, economic and political participation in society.

There are an increasing number of families run by women – almost one in four households are female-headed, according to Nani, and tend to be affected most by poverty.

“These women are invisible because they are not recognised socially or politically as the ‘head of the family’,” said Nani. “Culturally, men are still considered the head of the family, even though many women are responsible for the day-to-day running of the family home.”

Read Nani’s interview with Inside Indonesia to learn more about the changing role of women and her views on gender equality in the region.