Yogyakarta, 14 May 2025 – The Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada, held a guest lecture themed “Gender and Climate Change” at the Venture Room, 6th Floor, AGLC Building, Faculty of Agriculture UGM, and Zoom Meeting. This activity presented a prominent speaker, Prof. Ann R. Tickamyer, Professor Emerita of Rural Sociology and Demography from Pennsylvania State University, College of Agricultural Sciences. Arini Wahyu Utami, S.P., M.Sc., Ph.D., lecturer at the Department of Agricultural Social Economics, UGM, moderates it. Lecturers and students enthusiastically attended the guest lecture.
In her presentation titled “Disaster, Climate Change, and Resilience through a Gender Lens: Indonesia, Australia, Alaska”, Prof. Tickamyer said that disasters and climate change are not gender neutral, and women often face more severe impacts due to structural inequalities in access to resources, information, and decision-making.
Using the concept of “risk scapes,” Prof. Tickamyer explained that landscapes of risk and recovery are strongly influenced by social relations, especially gender structures in society. The material builds on case studies in Indonesia (Aceh, Bantul, Merapi), Australia, and Alaska.
One of the main findings is that the presence and active contribution of women in the recovery process greatly influence the speed and quality of post-disaster recovery. In Bantul, recovery took place quickly thanks to the strength of women’s social networks, local organizations, and a culture of gotong-royong. Women are not only the recipients of aid but also the main actors in the community reconstruction process.
In contrast to Bantul, in Merapi, the lack of full women’s involvement in the planning and recovery process created inequality and an uneven recovery process. Similarly, in Aceh, recovery was slow because women experienced marginalization in access to aid and decision-making.
This comparison was extended to Australia and Alaska, where communities showed higher resilience when women were involved in public spaces, had access to education and information, and were part of social and institutional networks. In Australia, farming communities in Victoria and New South Wales facing drought, fire, and flooding showed that women’s active role in local communities and social systems strengthened adaptation and recovery. In Alaska, coastal communities face climate change impacts such as melting permafrost and rising sea levels. Women’s strength in maintaining subsistence practices and involvement in cultural adaptation processes demonstrates a unique form of gender-based resilience.
The topics raised in this lecture are in line with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 5 (Gender Equality), by highlighting the importance of women’s roles in disaster adaptation and recovery; SDG 13 (Climate Change Management), through an inclusive and justice-based approach; and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), because food security is highly dependent on agricultural systems that are resilient to climate change and involve all groups equally.
This guest lecture invites students and academicians to understand the intersections between gender, disasters, and climate change. The Agricultural Economics Study Program (EPA) hopes this activity can continue to broaden students’ critical insights into global issues that impact agricultural development.
Author : Aprilia Dwi Hastuti
Admin of the Website for the Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, UGM