Indonesia Seeks to Make Palm Oil Sector to Integrate Gender Equality

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia is moving to integrate gender equality more deeply into its palm oil industry as part of efforts to build a more sustainable, inclusive and equitable commodity sector. The Indonesian government has collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and held “Socialization on the Guidelines for Gender Mainstreaming in the Palm Oil Sector” on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.

Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Arifah Fauzi opened the event by saying that the benefits of palm oil development should be shared fairly by both women and men, given the sector’s importance to Indonesia’s economy. She further stated that Indonesia produces about 60 percent of the world’s palm oil.

Within the massive scale of the sector, Fauzi said women play important roles throughout the palm oil value chain. Nevertheless, women continue to face barriers, including limited access to resources, capacity development, labor protection and participation in decision-making.

She stated addressing these gaps was essential to ensuring that palm oil development was both inclusive and sustainable. The launched guidelines for the palm oil sector are intended to serve as a reference for ministries, local governments, businesses and other stakeholders when incorporating gender perspectives into policies, programs and development activities.

On the occasion, Fauzi urged businesses and industry associations to adopt gender-responsive practices. “including by ensuring equal opportunities, protecting workers’ rights, ensuring safe working conditions, and meaningfully involving women,” she said.

The guidelines are also expected to strengthen the implementation of sustainable and inclusive palm oil development. It is also expected to support Indonesia’s Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification system, in line with Presidential Regulation No. 16 of 2025.

UNDP Indonesia Deputy Resident Representative, Sujala Pant, said gender inclusion should be viewed as part of the effort to build a more productive, competitive and resilient commodity sector. Indonesia’s palm oil industry supports more than 16 million jobs and generates around $40 billion in exports each year, she said.

Pant explained women working in the sector include smallholder farmers, plantation workers, entrepreneurs, researchers, community leaders and technical experts. Yet many still lack adequate access to land, finance, technology, decent work and leadership opportunities.

The guidelines were developed by the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection and the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs in partnership with UNDP, with support from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs through the Green Commodities Programme.

Pant also said gender inclusion should not be treated as a “tick-mark exercise” for the private sector. “It's not something just to be done, but it is a business opportunity,” she stated.