Morotai Island, 20 October 2025 — The Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Rod Brazier, visited Tiley Pantai Village in the Morotai Island Regency, North Maluku, to engage in a dialogue with members of the Women’s School (Sekolah Perempuan) and the managers of Complaint Posts from nine villages: Tiley Pantai, Waringin, Galo-Galo, Usbar Pantai, Tiley Pusu, Tutuhu, Kolorai, Pilowo, and Raja.
This visit is part of the Ambassador’s regional tour of eastern Indonesia, including Morotai and Ternate, with a focus on witnessing firsthand community-based initiatives that strengthen women’s leadership at the local level.
The initiative to strengthen women’s leadership is implemented by the Institut KAPAL Perempuan in collaboration with a local partner, the Women and Children’s Legal Aid Institute (LBH PA) Morotai, with support from the Australia-Indonesia Partnership Towards an Inclusive Society (INKLUSI) programme.
The Women’s School is a model of education and community organising aimed at strengthening the leadership of women, people with disabilities, and marginalised groups to ensure their active participation in village development. Members are involved in Village Development Planning Meetings (Musrenbang) and forums for drafting the Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD) to voice women’s interests and ensure access for the poor to inclusive basic services.
They also play an active role in election monitoring, peacebuilding during community tensions, and managing the Women’s School Complaint Posts—a service that handles cases of violence against women and children, access to reproductive health, and social protection. To date, Complaint Posts have been established across nine villages.
During the dialogue in Tiley Pantai Village, which was also attended by the Head of the Population and Civil Registry Office, In Ahmad, S.Ag., M.Pd.I., and village heads from the nine Women’s School areas, Ambassador Brazier expressed his appreciation.
“I am delighted to meet the inspiring women of the Women’s School, the LBH PA Morotai team, Institut KAPAL Perempuan, and the local government. I am proud that Australia can support and collaborate with local community initiatives that strengthen the protection of women and children, and encourage village women’s leadership towards development that is inclusive for all,” Rod Brazier, Australian Ambassador to Indonesia
Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Rod Brazier, engages in a dialogue with members of the Women’s School in Tiley Pantai Village, Morotai Island.
The Director of LBH PA Morotai, Djuniar, explained that her organisation prioritises issues of violence against women and children because many survivors cannot access services due to geographical constraints, transport limitations, and the lack of service infrastructure in small islands. The Women’s School Complaint Posts address these needs and have gained the community’s trust in handling various issues—ranging from family conflicts and inheritance disputes to environmental concerns such as fallen trees.
The Executive Director of Institut KAPAL Perempuan, Budhis Utami, added that attention to women in archipelagic regions must be a priority, particularly in underdeveloped, frontline, and outermost (3T) areas like Morotai.
“Access to basic services, education, health, as well as economic empowerment and climate change resilience, must be strengthened. The Women’s School is an educational model that enables women to understand community issues and find appropriate solutions,” Budhis Utami
The Head of the Population and Civil Registry Office, In Ahmad, noted that the local government has collaborated with the Complaint Posts to provide services to the community and involved LBH PA Morotai and the Women’s School in the drafting of the 2025–2029 RPJMD.
