Yogyakarta, September 14th 2021─The Department of Governmental Politics (DPP) Fisipol UGM is back with a Village Politics public lecture with the title of “Village Democracy: Learning from the Village Meeting and Election in Sikka East Nusa Tenggara”. This session of the public lecture invited an awesome speaker which is Hendrika Mayora Victoria, the first trans woman to be a member of the Village Deliberation Body (BPD) in Habi Village, Kangae District, Sikka Region, East Nusa Tenggara. This event was also moderated by Devy Dhian Cahyanti as the lecturer of The Department of Governmental Politics (DPP) Fisipol UGM and it was attended by 98 participants. The discussion was interesting because it analyzes several dynamics felt by Bunda Mayora as a member of the BPD, how the BPD affects the society, and the challenges of creating inclusivity in the society.
To open the discussion, the moderator said that this event is an innovation in the learning activity meant to reach a wider audience and involve other parties so that the learning process can be more interesting. The event was divided into two sessions which consisted of a lecture from Bunda Mayora, followed by a question and answer session with the participants.
Bunda Mayora started the sharing session by explaining what exactly is BPD. She explained that BPD is a partner in developing the village and overseeing the day-to-day activity of the village government. The involvement of Bunda Bayora as a member of the BPD was started with encouragement from the society to run for the position. Although she encountered discrimination along the way, she still have a lot of support such as from the Regent, the Subdistrict Head, and the citizens that makes Bunda Mayora feel very grateful for the opportunity and participation given until now.
Of course, being a BPD member is not something easy. According to Bunda Mayora, many organizations need to be oriented towards the interest of the citizens, especially when it comes to the overseeing of the village budget management. Other than that, when encountering misappropriations in the development process, the BPD also needs to give a warning. During the pandemic, the BPD also contributed in advocating the special allocation for women economic empowerment. Bunda Mayora’s role as a member of the BPD is not strictly an individual responsibility but also a way to break the negative stigma often related to trans women in the bid to create inclusivity and diversity in Indonesia.