Bappenas showcases Participatory Recess to the Government of Afghanistan

On August 14 2018, the Afghan Government held a study visit to the Ministry of National Development and Planning/ National Development Agency (PPN/Bappenas). Through this meeting, the government of Afghanistan gained a deeper understanding of GRPB by looking at best practices successfully implemented by the Indonesian Government. One of them includes Participatory Recess which was developed by a MAMPU partner.

Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, the Minister of PPN’s Expert Staff on Budgeting and Economic Synergy, who was accompanied by Woro Srihastuti Sulistyaningrum, the Director of Family, Women, Children, Youths, and Sports, presented the Indonesian background and context leading to the advent of GRPB, current situation of the women issue, the steps taken in gender mainstreaming and the challenges met and solutions applied by the Indonesian Government in implementing GRPB. The Participatory Recess, a model developed by BaKTI, a partner of MAMPU, was set as one of the examples of best practices carried out by the Indonesian Government in the implementation of GRPB at the regional level.

Participatory Recess is aimed at improving women’s influence and voices by connecting parliamentary members with their constituent groups through a recess mechanism that involves women and other marginal groups. This recess has been tried in 8 regencies, involving 26 male and female parliamentary members from 2015 to 2017. Among these members are Andi Nurhanjayani and Jhon Pannanganan (DPRD members of Parepare Municipality) as well as Fitriani and Haeria Rahman (DPRD members of Maros Regency).

The results of the Participatory Recess discussions were summarized into a document that is referred to by the constituents. Government, and parliamentary members in drafting the regional budget and development planning. Some good results acquired from Participatory Recess, among others, are DPRD initiated PERDA 12/ 2016 on the Protection of Women and Children in Parepare Municipality, and Perda 15/2016 on the Implementation of Early Childhood Education in Maros Regency. Both regulations guarantee to raise efforts in fulfiling the needs of women and children in Parepare and Maros.