Women and Organizational Capabilities in Seaweed Production in North Gorontalo

Abstract

Despite the government support for economic development in some coastal areas in Indonesia, the paradigm about women’s agency remains almost the same. This is because women are still marginalized. This paper focuses on looking at agency of women in managing their resources. This study proves that women are active agents in coastal areas of North Gorontalo. Specifically, in the seaweed production, empirical evidences show significantly that women's associations succeeded in gaining economic advantages, participatory leadership, and had adaptability towards changes in technology and seaweed market. Applying a qualitative research approach, this study illustrates a number of policy subjects, organizational patterns, regional opportunity, and actors that support the centrality of women’s organizational capabilities in the field of seaweed production in the north coast of Gorontalo. This study justifies the tendency in Gorontalo, and perhaps in other areas in Indonesia, that women groups have an economic reputation in the seaweed production because they are fully involved in all production processes.