Laila, Head of Women's School Group, Pangkajene and Islands, South Sulawesi

Laila's story is part of a peer-reviewed edited volume of women's life stories that draws on detailed ethnographic research of village women's lived experiences and how they, individually and collectively, have taken action to influence village development in Indonesia's multi-level governance structure under the new Village Law in Indonesia. The analysis identifies the processes of women's empowerment, their involvement in grassroots women's collective action, engagement with civil society organisations, and how women influence village institutions, policies, development spending and priorities, and new projects as well as social norms in communities. Laila is a fisherwomen and heads one of the Women's School groups in her village in Pangkajene and Islands, South Sulawesi. These groups are supported to develop their critical awareness of gender justice by YKPM (Foundation for Community Studies and Empowerment), a local partner of KAPAL Perempuan. Since 2015, Laila has served as a Neighbourhood Head (Ketua Rukun Tetangga - RT) on her island. Laila was selected by the Village Head and continued by the subsequently elected Village Head, overcoming the perception that women are unsuitable to hold a leadership role by proving her abilities and commitment to the community. Laila has applied the advocacy skills learnt in the Women's School to successfully campaign for water tanks to access to clean water, solar panels for electricity and the official recognition of fisherwomen