Everybody Is a Teacher, Every Place Is a School: Empowerment through Women-Centered Space at the PKP Community Centre in Bali, Indonesia
Faculty Mentor
Gregory Barton
Major/Area of Research
Global Studies
Description
INTRODUCTION: Women across the world remain at a disadvantage economically, socially, and politically as a result of oppressive patriarchal structures that allow men to dominate in both private and public spheres of life. In order to investigate ways in which women-centered community spaces provide alternatives to these structures, this transdisciplinary-informed qualitative research project was conducted at the Pusat Komunitas Perempuan (PKP) Community Centre in the Selasih Banjar north of Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. This case-study sought to answer the question: How does the PKP Community Centre's intentional womencentered community space empower local women?
METHOD: The data were collected over a three-month period from September to November 2024 through participant observation and semi-structured interviews in Indonesian with the women (Ibu-Ibu) who work at PKP. Interactions and data-gathering with participants were informed by decolonial prerogatives of respect, relationships, and reciprocity through trust-building, as well as feminist social constructionism theory.
RESULTS: The data showed that, across the board, the Ibu-Ibu have a strong desire for more education, something that they feel PKP offers in part through experiential learning of practical job skills, English practice, confidence building, and emotional resilience. The participants also expressed feelings of isolation, lack of self-confidence and financial struggles before finding PKP where they now feel more empowered in those areas. Additionally, it was made clear that having a community of peers who share similar life experiences improves overall happiness and wellbeing for the Ibu-Ibu. This empowerment allows for them to take better care of themselves and their children, make better contributions to their Banjar (neighborhood), and break generational cycles of hardship.
CONCLUSION: Overall, this research demonstrates that creating space that prioritizes women is beneficial not only to them as individuals but also to their families and communities. Empowering women through women-centered spaces opens new opportunities to establish social, political, and economic gender equality.
Everybody Is a Teacher, Every Place Is a School: Empowerment through Women-Centered Space at the PKP Community Centre in Bali, Indonesia
INTRODUCTION: Women across the world remain at a disadvantage economically, socially, and politically as a result of oppressive patriarchal structures that allow men to dominate in both private and public spheres of life. In order to investigate ways in which women-centered community spaces provide alternatives to these structures, this transdisciplinary-informed qualitative research project was conducted at the Pusat Komunitas Perempuan (PKP) Community Centre in the Selasih Banjar north of Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. This case-study sought to answer the question: How does the PKP Community Centre's intentional womencentered community space empower local women?
METHOD: The data were collected over a three-month period from September to November 2024 through participant observation and semi-structured interviews in Indonesian with the women (Ibu-Ibu) who work at PKP. Interactions and data-gathering with participants were informed by decolonial prerogatives of respect, relationships, and reciprocity through trust-building, as well as feminist social constructionism theory.
RESULTS: The data showed that, across the board, the Ibu-Ibu have a strong desire for more education, something that they feel PKP offers in part through experiential learning of practical job skills, English practice, confidence building, and emotional resilience. The participants also expressed feelings of isolation, lack of self-confidence and financial struggles before finding PKP where they now feel more empowered in those areas. Additionally, it was made clear that having a community of peers who share similar life experiences improves overall happiness and wellbeing for the Ibu-Ibu. This empowerment allows for them to take better care of themselves and their children, make better contributions to their Banjar (neighborhood), and break generational cycles of hardship.
CONCLUSION: Overall, this research demonstrates that creating space that prioritizes women is beneficial not only to them as individuals but also to their families and communities. Empowering women through women-centered spaces opens new opportunities to establish social, political, and economic gender equality.