The Jambi Provincial Government and a number of districts are currently drafting the Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD) for the 2025-2029 period. In this strategic process, an inclusive approach is a major concern so that development responds to the needs of all levels of society, including women, people with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and other vulnerable groups.

To support this process, Pundi Sumatra and KKI WARSI together with KEMITRAAN through the Estungkara program supported by INKLUSI held a two-day RPJMD SIPD Workshop and Assistance, on 3-4 June 2025 at the Luminor Hotel in Jambi. This activity invited Regional Apparatus Organisations (OPD) from BAPPEDA, the Social Affairs Office, and the Village Community Empowerment Office from four districts: Bungo, Sarolangun, Merangin, and Tebo.

In her remarks, Nurjanah Pangeran, Head of Regional Development Planning, Control and Evaluation (PPEPD) of Jambi Province BAPPEDA highlighted the importance of ensuring marginalised groups such as Suku Anak Dalam (SAD) are included in planning documents. ‘Based on data collected from KKI WARSI, there are 5,650 SAD people who have NIK, but have not fully accessed basic services. Their activities such as collecting oil palm fruits show how they still rely on traditional lifestyles, but are now vulnerable to conflict with surrounding communities and companies,’ he said.

He also said that until now, in the initial consultation of RPJMD documents in several districts such as Tebo and Merangin, there has been no explicit intervention for these marginalised groups. "We hope that the guidance from the Ministry of Home Affairs in this activity can help answer, how to pour interventions for vulnerable groups into RPJMD documents technically and strategically," he added.

Aspirations of Civil Society

As a resource person in the workshop, Iwan Kurniawan from the Director of PEIPD of DG Bangda emphasised that the integration of GEDSI in the RPJMD is not just a voluntary approach, but mandatory based on Inmendagri No. 2 Year 2025. He reminded that the RPJMD must be aligned with national development targets, including income mapping and inclusive employment opportunities. "The role of the province as the centre's representative is very strategic in ensuring the consolidation of equal and sustainable development," he said.

Various voices from civil society organisations were present to enrich the discussion. Sutiyem from the Merangin Women's Alliance (APM) emphasised the importance of guarding women's rights up to the district policy level. "We encourage women, especially from marginalised groups, to be involved in development deliberations starting from the village. But guarding at the district and provincial levels is still a challenge," she said.

The PEKKA representative from Bungo hoped that their involvement as an organisation of women heads of households would continue in the public consultation process and regional development planning. A similar sentiment was expressed by Zubaidah from Beranda Perempuan, who raised the issue of the exclusion of indigenous women. "Indigenous women are often considered closed. In fact, they are very open, they just need the right approach to participate in making decisions," she said. “Sering kali perempuan adat dianggap tertutup. Padahal mereka sangat terbuka, hanya perlu pendekatan yang tepat agar bisa ikut mengambil keputusan,” tegasnya.

Wenny, a gender specialist and academic, highlighted the overlapping injustices experienced by indigenous women and children engaged as part-time workers. She suggested that alternative economic programmes such as organic farming be developed as a vulnerability reduction strategy. "The government should not only build houses, but should ensure they are also placed in a fair social structure," she added.

Integrating GEDSI and Indigenous Communities in Development Design

In the next session, OPD representatives were gathered by district to discuss the overview of their initial draft (ranwal) RPJMD, including how GEDSI issues have begun to be accommodated in the cascading process of planning documents. This discussion provided an opportunity for participants to share good practices, challenges, and strategies used in integrating inclusive approaches into the mission, goals, objectives, and priority programmes in their respective regions.

The group discussion format per district also provided an opportunity for participants to get direct input from the facilitators, while refining the policy logic in the RPJMD documents they were drafting. This approach is considered effective because it adapts to the local context of each region, while keeping the principles of inclusion as a common thread in all planning documents.

"Sarolangun is the most frequent location for conflicts between the SAD community and other parties. So a cultural approach can be the key to a peaceful resolution," explained Yori Sandi, a representative of Pundi Sumatra.

KKI WARSI also strengthened the argument by conveying the structural conditions of SAD (Orang Rimba) who lost their living space due to company concessions since the 1980s. "Their main problem is the loss of resources due to policy. So the solution must also be structural," said Robert from WARSI. He emphasised the importance of policy consistency across sectors and levels, so that central policies do not collide with local needs.

Through this workshop and assistance, it is hoped that local governments in Jambi Province can prepare RPJMD documents that are not only in accordance with technical provisions, but also reflect a commitment to fair and equal development. An inclusive approach that accommodates perspectives on gender, disability, and social diversity is key so that development truly reaches all levels of society. This activity also strengthens collaboration between local governments and civil society organisations in ensuring a more participatory and responsive planning process going forward.

Contact Person: Annisa Majesty Kasturi - 085280576423