Year Three: The Girl Empowerment Project
OVERVIEW
The 2020 Girl Empowerment Photovoices Project was developed to assess the impact of COVID-19 and address gender-related issues in six dusun (subvillages) located on the slopes of Mount Agung and Mount Abang in the remote village of Ban, Karangasem, East Bali. This program also aimed to involve girl participants aged 13-19 in meaningful and enjoyable activities during a time when girls worldwide are vulnerable to child, early, and forces marriage and unions (CEFMU) and to bring their voices into decision-making processes.
Girl Empowerment Photovoices was a partnership between Photovoices International (PVI) and the East Bali Poverty Project (EBPP) with participants from six schools established by EBPP in six of Ban’s most difficult to reach subvillages. PVI and EBPP’s work was a multiyear partnership, making it unique compared to other PVI projects.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to improvise and implement the program online. The Photovoices Approach centers on deep connection and honoring voice. The restrictions due to both COVID and poor internet connectivity in the mountains of East Bali meant we needed to get creative. Leveraging a difficult situation, we developed a mentor program and enlisted previous Photovoices participants, who were living back at home as a result of the pandemic, as mentors. We hired and trained these young women, all Photovoices alumni, to strengthen the initiative by connecting with and supporting the high school girls in their work as current Photovoices participants.
Remote weekly meetings were conducted through WhatsApp and all training materials were converted into adolescent-friendly handouts. To allow students to review training materials in advance, we developed a schedule for completing assignments and distributing handouts the week before each WA meeting. The restrictive method of communication, which was due to poor internet connectivity in the mountainous area, meant that we needed to be extra emotive with our replies and questions, to keep a positive and upbeat learning environment.
Instead of using semi-DSLR like in PVI’s other projects, we used smartphones that served as both cameras and a means to participate in the online project and communicate with Photovoices. Participants who did not own smartphones were loaned smartphones. As a result, the image quality of participant photos varied according to the device used.
For the Final Exhibition and Discussion, we hosted a hybrid event: in-person and online with government offices and related organizations invited, allowing wider participation from various locations. We also used pre-recorded video presentations to feature all of our participants’ photo stories at the exhibition as COVID-19 restrictions prevented many from attending in person.
39
student participants
6
main issues
38
photos exhibited
6
hamlets
850
households
GALLERY
HIGHLIGHTS
All-girl participants
The girl-only nature of the program allowed participants to enjoy strong connections at a time when COVID-19 prevented students from convening in class. As a result, the girls seemed to take on more leadership roles, for example by taking the initiative to contact the Ban village head 30-40 minutes away from their subvillage to make an appointment for an interview without help from PVI nor EBPP staff.
Because the girls chose issues that were highly relevant to their daily lives, their excitement, engagement, and growth throughout the project was palpable. The participants identified six issues during the project: the impacts of COVID-19, access to water, infrastructure, waste management, agriculture potential, sexual harassment, as well as CEFMU .
Compared to the first Photovoices project four years earlier, the girls seemed more comfortable and confident when interviewing community members. We believe that the mentors’ support, the all-girl group, their previous participation in the 2018 Spark project designed to enlist boys as allies, as well as witnessing their seniors’ participation in the 2016-17 Photovoices project all contributed to their confidence.
Mentors and Junior Mentors
Although PVI and EBPP facilitators could not meet the participants in person until the last month of the project, our mentors—who were from the participants’ subvillages—were able to hold routine in-person meetings with the participants. Mentors, who had already experienced participating in a Photovoices project four years earlier, were able to guide participants as they mapped the issues, learned about photography, interviewed community members and prepared their photo stories.
In total, we had 12 mentors, six junior mentors aged 18 and below, who were still high school students themselves and were also current participants; and 6 mentors between the ages of 20-24 who were Photovoicesalumni. These older mentors were alumni of EBPP schools who had already gone on to university or participated in hospitality training but were forced to return home because of the pandemic. The mentorship program allowed the young participants to access hands-on support and connect with role models from their own communities.
Hybrid meetings
To adapt to the pandemic’s activity restrictions, we innovated by meeting online through WhatsApp. To ensure everyone could participate, we loaned smartphones and SD cards to participants who did not have them, bought monthly data plans for all participants and mentors for online class activities, and installed Internet towers in three schools and the EBPP office so that both teachers and participants were able to access the Internet. Even with these additions, video calls were not possible and meetings were conducted by WhatsApp chat.
First girl from Darmaji to attend university
After learning about the Photovoices project and seeing the enthusiasm and hard work of the girls during the project, one of the exhibition’s attendees spontaneously offered a scholarship to one participant to continue her study at university. She is now in her third year at UNIKOM, Bandung, where she studies design and visual communications. After becoming the first girl to graduate high school in her subvillage, Darmaji, she will certainly be the first girl from her subvillage to graduate from university. We hope that her achievement will inspire other girls in Darmaji, a subvillage that has been struggling with school drop-out among girls as well as boys.
The project resulted in several important achievements:
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Impressed by the young participants’ photos and stories, Ban’s customary village chief (bandesa adat), who is also the coordinator of all 19 customary villages in Ban, became a driving force in promoting the need to create a pararem (customary law) to prevent CEFMU.
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Although not directly involved in Girl Empowerment Photovoices, the Customary Village of Ban became the first customary village in Ban to announce a customary law to prevent CEFMU in 2022, amid a Photovoices project that engaged several customary villages outside the subvillages where EBPP schools are located.
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The customary village of Darmaji followed by issuing its own customary law to prevent CEFMU in the same year (2022). In 2024, the customary villages of Pengalusan, Manikaji, and Bunga also each issued a customary law on CEFMU.
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Photovoices alumni continue the tree planting initiative started during the Girl Empowerment Photovoices project in order to address the lack of water to this day. Despite some initial negative reaction from adults in their subvillage, the customary village council began providing supplies for the teenagers, who collect tree seedlings to be replanted in the forest once grown. In 2023, the Bali Watershed Management (BPDAS) and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry’s head of the Bali and Nusa Tenggara Ecoregion visited Manikaji to listen to the students’ presentation on water issues, deforestation, and their movement to restore the forest. In response, BPDAS established a People’s Nursery (Kebun Bibit Rakyat) in Manikaji.
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One girl student dropped out of school during the project and school year compared to 10 during the previous school year. One participant admitted that she had considered leaving school but changed her mind out of curiosity about the Photovoices project. The following year, she became PKBM Ekoturin’s student council president.
Commitments resulting from the Girls’ Advocacy at the Girl Empowerment Photovoices Final Exhibition and Discussion held on June 10, 2021 include:
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Manikaji Customary Village: committed to creating customary law against CEFM. Through the exhibition and discussion, Darmaji Customary Village leaders, who had already committed to creating a customary law were connected to Women's Legal Aid, Bali (LBH APIK Bali) who promised to assist with the drafting process. The local police also promised to be involved and showed enthusiasm during the exhibition and discussion.
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Ban Village Chief: committed publicly to buying seedlings for replanting the forest.
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Office of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection: committed to taking action on reports of sexual violence from the communities (since then, they have already managed one reported case).
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Office of Village Empowerment: committed to sending a Family Welfare Empowerment Team to teach the communities about waste management.
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Subur Plus (an agricultural organization): committed to providing training on agricultural techniques. Subur Plus has led outreach at two communities.
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Kisara (an organization works in reproductive health issue): committed to assisting with providing education on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (ASRHR). Since then, EBPP and Kisara have been in partnership in providing education on ASRHR for PKBM Ekoturin students.
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Bye Bye Plastic (environmental youth movement): committed to providing education and social media support.
Project Stakeholder
