Since early 2026, the project in Petungkriyono has supported women to take a more active role in agroforestry-based livelihoods, especially in product processing, quality improvement, and small- scale business development. More than a technical activity, this process has opened greater space for women to contribute, learn, and be recognized for their role in strengthening family and community resilience. 

For many women, this change is not only about producing better products or earning additional income. It is also about growing confidence. Women who were once seen mainly as helping in the background are now becoming more visible in activities that add value to local products and support household livelihoods. Through regular assistance and practical learning, they are gaining skills, sharing ideas, and becoming more involved in decisions related to production and business development.  

One participant reflected, “Before, we only helped as much as we could. Now, we feel that what we do matters and that we can contribute more to our family’s future.” 

What this experience makes plain is something that development practitioners have long suspected but too rarely designed for: when women are given genuine opportunities to participate — not token seats at the table, but real ones — communities do not merely include them. They improve.

The work is not finished. Going forward, the project will continue building what takes longest to cultivate: capacity, yes, but also confidence, and the quieter readiness that allows a woman to look at a local enterprise and believe, without apology, that she is the right person to grow it — and to grow it well.