PORTALJABAR, DISTRICT. GARUT - Garut Aisyiyah Regional Leadership (PDA) held a Development Planning Conference (Musrenbang) for Women and Vulnerable Groups in Regional Development Planning with a Gender, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) perspective.

This event took place at the Garut District Health Service Hall, Jalan Proklik, Tarogong Kidul District, Garut Regency (8/3/2024).

Head of the Women's Empowerment Division of the Garut Population Control, Family Planning, Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (DPPKBPPPA) Service, Iriyani, expressed her appreciation to the Garut PDA for holding this Musrenbang.

He emphasized the importance of involving vulnerable groups in regional development with the APKM principle (Access, Participation, Control, Benefits).

"So all communities must be involved, so that this development produces results, all communities must feel that this development must be APKM," he said.

All SKPD across sectors within the Garut Regency Government are encouraged to support gender responsive regional development, in accordance with Regional Regulation Number 10 of 2020 concerning Gender Mainstreaming.

Not only at the district level, he continued, gender-responsive regional development must also be implemented at the village level. Where gender mainstreaming must be planned, budgeted and agreed upon by the village government.

Women's empowerment must be integrated into ADD or village funds for more inclusive development. Musrenbang documents are also important to maintain because they are used as assessment material for the Parahita Ekapraya Award which is held every two years.

"Yesterday, Garut Regency, thank God, was verified in the field and invited to the Ministry. From West Java, only Kuningan and Garut were included in the Nindya category," he said.

Chairman of PDA Garut, Eti Nurul Hayati, as the initiator of this event, explained that this Musrenbang aims to fully involve women and vulnerable groups in development policy making.

Eti explained that the Women's Musrenbang was motivated by sustainable development goals or SDGs, in which case her party provided input regarding the activity program that would be implemented by each SKPD in accordance with existing problems.

"The development process should be carried out prioritizing participatory principles from multi-stakeholders so that at this time we are specifically discussing the community, including vulnerable groups and women," he said.

According to Eti, the implementation of this musrenbang is considered important to enrich development and fulfill the rights of people with disabilities, women, children and the elderly in Garut Regency which has an impact on increasing the Human Development Index (HDI).

"With the hope that it can provide meaningful participatory encouragement, because so far the implementation of Musrenbang has been carried out by the government in stages," he continued

Agus Dinar, Head of Government and Human Development (PPM) at the Garut Regency Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda), emphasized the importance of community participation in development to increase gender mainstreaming.

"Once again, this musrenbang is very important in Garut Regency to increase gender mainstreaming in Garut Regency, also from the perspective of the elderly, disabled, and also children and women," he said.

Agus Dinar added that the implementation of this musrenbang was appropriate in Garut Regency, in line with the schedule for preparing the Regional Work Plan (RKPD) for 2025.

According to him, this Musrenbang is an important forum for discussing and formulating concrete steps in realizing regional development that is more inclusive and responsive to gender, disabilities and vulnerable groups. This will coincide with increasing the Human Development Index (HDI) in Garut Regency.

"So of course, the message is that gender mainstreaming is very important, of course these discussions are not limited to annual discussions like this, but also occur in other social organization groups or agencies," he said.

This Musrenbang was attended by all elements including the Garut Regional Children's Forum (FAD), the Planning Generation (Genre), the Children's Society Secretariat Foundation (SEMAK), the Indonesian Association of Disabled Women (HWDI), the Indonesian Association of Disabled People (PPDI), the Indonesian Women's Coalition ( KPI), Association of Women's Organizations (GOW), Indonesian Midwives Association (IBI), Fatayat, as well as representatives of Regional Work Units (SKPD) and several other invited guests. (Diskominfo Garut/Fauziah)