2007, The Australian National University, Resource Management in Asia-Pacific Program
This action research project investigates how the empowerment of women within a mine-affected community can contribute to the development of sustainable local livelihoods. The research aims to test the hypothesis that women's empowerment is the key to wider community empowerment and the creation of sustainable livelihoods in mine-affected communities. The results of the research will contribute to the formulation of better strategies or models of good practice for the management of 'community affairs' by mining companies operating in Indonesia and other developing countries of the Asia Pacific region. It will also contribute to the small but growing body of literature which relates the mining-community interface to theories of gender and development.
The focus of this research is the population affected by the operations of Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC), originally a joint venture between Rio Tinto and British Petroleum, now owned by Indonesian interests, but partly operated under management contracts with Australian companies. The mine is located in the East Kalimantan Province of Indonesia in an equatorial region of high biological diversity. Coal production in this fragile setting currently exceeds 36 million tonnes of coal each year.
The original mining concession, covering an area of 90,000 hectares, was granted in 1992, and the present lease is due to expire in 2021. The local population affected by the mining operation consists of three village clusters in the Sangatta and Bengalon districts of Kabupaten Kutai Timur, with a combined population of more than 40,000 people, including a mixture of indigenous (Kutai) people and other ethnic groups.
This research is supported under the Australian Research Council's Linkage funding scheme (LP 0668057). The research partners are The Australian National University and PT Kaltim Prima Coal, Indonesia.
For more information, please go to the project website.
