Indonesia Highlights

In Indonesia, COVID-19 hurts the poor the most.

The world’s fourth most populous country is home to at least 25 million people living under the poverty line.

Yet, the Indonesian government has neglected them in its approaches to contain the spread of highly contagious disease in the country, which holds the highest fatality rate in Southeast Asia.

I Nyoman Sutarsa and Fina Itriyati from Australian National University together with Atin Prabandari from Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia write on how the government’s instruction to self-isolate has punished people with no secure jobs and access to health insurances during the COVID-19 pandemic

The government’s policy to shut down schools has also put millions of children at risk of not getting an education as Indonesia with only half of its population has access to the internet is not ready for online classes.

Nuurrianti Jalli from University Teknologi MARA, Malaysia observes that other countries in Southeast Asia also encounter a similar challenge due to lack of internet access.

To celebrate International Day of Forests last week, we published a research-based article by Pablo J. Acosta from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain. His research reveals that the Indonesian government can get more economic benefits from managing forests in Papua than turning them into oil palm plantations.

Ika Krismantari

Deputy Executive Editor

Top articles on COVID-19
Cleaning workers spray disinfectant at Bung Karno aquatic stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia. Mast Irham/EPA

No work, no money: how self-isolation due to COVID-19 pandemic punishes the poor in Indonesia

I Nyoman Sutarsa, Australian National University; Atin Prabandari, Universitas Gadjah Mada ; Fina Itriyati, Australian National University

The policy of self-isolation fails to take into account the fact that many poor and low-income people cannot afford to do it.
Only three countries in Southeast Asia have over 80% Internet penetration. www.shutterstock.com

Lack of internet access in Southeast Asia poses challenges for students to study online amid COVID-19 pandemic

Nuurrianti Jalli

In Southeast Asia like in many other developing regions, a large segment of the population don't have access to the Internet and electronic devices.

Environment

Gender

Research finds gender bias in textbooks of Indonesia and other Muslim majority countries

M Niaz Asadullah, University of Malaya

Indonesian textbooks represent gender equality better than their South Asian counterparts, but our analysis shows portrayals of women are still biased.

Improving access to cycling can benefit women in marginalised neighbourhoods

Lily Song, Harvard University

Rapid motorisation has made the Indonesian city of Solo prioritise policies to support motorised vehicles, paying little attention to cycling and marginalising poor women.