Komnas Perempuan has officially launched a policy report titled "Business and Human Rights in the Digital Era: Human Rights and Gender Perspectives in Three National Strategic Project Areas". This document captures the critical situation faced by women human rights defenders and indigenous communities in Mandalika, Nagekeo, and Rempang, where the development of strategic projects is deemed to trigger multi-layered vulnerabilities due to agrarian conflicts.
In its report, Komnas Perempuan highlights the double burden borne by women, ranging from the loss of economic livelihoods to psychological trauma resulting from intimidation in the field. Furthermore, the development of digital technology, which should be neutral, is now often misused as an instrument for surveillance, intimidation, and online gender-based violence (OGBV) against women striving to defend their living spaces.
This analysis reveals that the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) on the ground remains hindered. The human rights due diligence standards applied by corporations are deemed not yet fully sensitive to gender justice and technological developments, thereby triggering structural marginalization in the development decision-making process.
Responding to these findings, Komnas Perempuan proposed five strategic recommendations for the government and the private sector. The commission urges the strengthening of protection mechanisms for women human rights defenders, the integration of digital rights into national policies, and the implementation of stricter human rights due diligence to prevent repression and criminalization of indigenous communities.
This report is expected to serve as a foundation for policymakers and business actors to reflect. Komnas Perempuan emphasizes that women's participation is not merely a complement, but the main key to maintaining environmental sustainability and democracy amidst the heavy flow of investment in Indonesia.
