The Role of Women in Strategic Leadership in the Era of Inclusive Development

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In an effort to realize democratic, inclusive, and equitable governance, women's representation in the decision-making process is one of the important indicators. The presence of women in strategic positions not only reflects the principles of gender equality, but also brings a more diverse perspective in policy formulation that is responsive to the needs of society.

In the era of inclusive development, women's role in strategic leadership needs to shift from mere representation (number or quota) to transformation (impact and more inclusive policy changes). This includes active participation in decision-making in various areas to create equitable policies, represent women's voices, and build a collaborative and progressive environment, rather than simply meeting quantitative numbers.

The Government of Indonesia has a strong commitment to gender mainstreaming (PUG) in all aspects of national development. This commitment is reflected in various strategic regulations and policies, including: Presidential Instruction No. 9 of 2000 concerning Gender Mainstreaming in National Development, Regulation of the Minister of Home Affairs No. 67 of 2011 concerning General Guidelines for the Implementation of Gender Mainstreaming in the Regions, as well as Indonesia's commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal 5: Achieving Gender Equality and Empowering All Women and Girls.

However, reality shows that women's representation at various levels of policy-making, whether in the executive, legislative, and other institutions, is still disproportionate. Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS, 2023) shows that the proportion of women in middle and primary high leadership positions in the government has only reached around 19%, while in the private sector, women's representation in managerial positions is only around 22% (ILO, 2022).

Various studies show that increasing women's representation in decision-making positions has a positive impact on governance, policy effectiveness, and organizational performance (World Bank, 2021; UN Women, 2022). In the context of local government, women's involvement in strategic positions also contributes to more responsive and inclusive public policies, particularly in social services, health, and education. Structural, cultural, and institutional challenges such as strong patriarchal social norms, lack of institutional support for women's leadership, and limited women's access to strategic networks and capacity building are still obstacles to women's active participation in the public policy formulation process.

Responding to these challenges, the Cooperation Facilitation Center (Fasker Center) of the Ministry of Home Affairs together with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) Germany will organize a workshop with the theme "From Representation to Transformation: The Role of Women in Strategic Leadership in the Era of Inclusive Development", as a space for cross-sectoral strategic dialogue to strengthen commitment, networking, and synergy between stakeholders to encourage the improvement of women's leadership in the field of Strategic Development. decision-making in various sectors.

This collaboration is part of the joint commitment of the Fasker Center and KAS in encouraging the strengthening of participatory democracy and governance that is accommodating to the aspirations of all community groups, including women. Through this forum, it is hoped that evidence-based recommendations will emerge that can strengthen the capacity of local governments in creating an environment conducive to increasing the strategic role of women in the public space.