Shinta Maharani, Jakarta – A group of women from the Suara Ibu Yogyakarta movement is preparing to hold a demonstration to protest the Indonesian government's delay in declaring a national disaster status due to flooding in several districts and cities in Sumatra.
The demonstration will take place at the Gadjah Mada University Roundabout in Yogyakarta on Monday, December 22, coinciding with Mother's Day and serving as a marker for the Indonesian Women's Congress. In history, the first Indonesian Women's Congress took place on December 22 to 25, 1928 in Yogyakarta, advocating for women's rights.
Suara Ibu plans to display white flags and various white-colored attributes during the protest by women from diverse backgrounds. Their posters, which read "Feast" and "Prayer" for Indonesia, include an image of a person waving a white flag. "A symbol of frustration and anger towards the government," said Suara Ibu Yogyakarta volunteer Gernata Titi to Tempo on Sunday, December 21, 2025.
The movement invites everyone to join the demonstration by carrying white flags, wearing white attire and accessories, and bringing pots and pans. The waving of the white flag is a gesture of solidarity with the Aceh community, expressing disappointment with the government's handling of the disaster.
Residents of Aceh have been waving white flags for three weeks after the floods and landslides that struck three provinces in Sumatra: Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. For the Acehnese, the white flag symbolizes their surrender in the face of the floods.
Suara Ibu Yogyakarta is a women's movement open to anyone without membership requirements. Participants will bring various kitchen utensils and simultaneously make noise as a symbol of protesting, including against the free nutritious meal (MBG) program.
They are actively protesting various government policies that harm public interests. They have previously held demonstrations rejecting the TNI (Indonesian Military) Law that reinstated the military's dual function. They also urged the government to stop the free nutritious meal program.
According to another volunteer from Suara Ibu Yogyakarta, Rika Iffati, the budget efficiency policy of the Prabowo-Gibran government has layered impacts, including through the MBG project. The project has resulted in budget cuts, including for disaster handling. Before the efficiency, the BNPB (National Disaster Management Agency) had a budget of Rp1.4 trillion, which has now been reduced to less than Rp500 billion. The BMKG (Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics) budget has been halved. 'The amount is inadequate for a rapidly disaster-prone Indonesia,' she said.
Budget cuts have caused a delay in disaster management. There are over a thousand deaths and more than 500 people displaced. Rika stated that the government seemed to underestimate the scale and impact of the disaster by refusing to declare a national disaster status. Furthermore, the government failed to prevent environmental damage, ensuring the safety and welfare of citizens.
Rika mentioned that the disaster was not just a natural event, but the accumulation of massive deforestation and forest destruction practices. Land conversion for extractive industries such as palm oil plantations and mining has damaged the ecological function of forests as water catchments and flood control.
The government, they argued, should promptly declare a national disaster status and take firm action against ecological criminals contributing to environmental damage. Additionally, they demand that the government impose a moratorium on the free nutritious meal program and redirect the state budget for disaster management. "We urge the government to pay attention to vulnerable groups affected by disasters, especially women, children, people with disabilities, and the elderly," she said.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2075204/white-flags-raised-as-women-slam-flood-disaster-dela