Farwiza Farhan: Asia Foundation Podcast—The Women Defending Indonesia’s Forests

Now, a band of forest defenders, organized and led by women, is demonstrating that social forestry can stop this kind of destructive exploitation by engaging the communities whose lives are entwined with the health of the forest. Beginning with a handful of women in the Aceh village of Damaran Baru, 1,000 forest defenders in 15 villages now patrol the forest. Their remarkable success is due, in part, to an Indonesian NGO called HAkA, which helped the village women win the government’s blessing to manage their forest. Joining us today to talk about social forestry and the Women’s Forest Defenders movement is the cofounder of HAkA, Farwiza Farhan.