A mountainous tropical forest on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the Leuser Ecosystem is the last place on earth where the elephant, rhino, tiger, and orangutan still roam together in the wild. But the forest is under pressure from poachers, illegal loggers, and miners, who strip the land of resources, causing floods and destroying villages. Now, a band of forest defenders, organized and led by women, is demonstrating that social forestry can stop this destructive exploitation by engaging the communities whose lives are entwined with the health of the forest. Beginning with a handful of women in just one village, now, thanks to The Asia Foundation, there’s an Aceh Women Forest Defenders Movement in 15 villages patrolling and protecting the forest. Their remarkable success is due, in part, to our 2023 Lotus Leadership award honoree HAkA, an Indonesia-based organization that supported the women forest defenders’ efforts to petition the government for the right to protect and manage their forests.
Lotus Circle
Indonesia’s Women Forest Defenders
Tuesday, May 2nd, 20232023 Lotus Leadership Awards Gala
Thursday, April 13th, 2023The Asia Foundation will host the 2023 Lotus Leadership Awards on April 26 at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City. The eleventh Lotus Leadership Awards will honor Gloria Steinem, Google.org, HAkA, and the Aceh Women Forest Defenders Movement from Indonesia. The gala will feature special guest Seth Meyers, photographer Nigel Barker and singer-songwriter Katini Yamaoka.
Advancing Women’s Rights and Opportunities with Lotus Circle Funds
Friday, March 31st, 2023The Lotus Circle is a vibrant community of committed individuals and organizations supporting The Asia Foundation’s Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality Program to strengthen economic, social, and political rights and opportunities for women and girls in Asia and the Pacific. The Asia Foundation launched the Lotus Circle in 2007 to engage a growing group of philanthropists committed to investing in women across Asia. Funds raised strengthen The Asia Foundation’s work in women’s empowerment and gender equality, and promote gender mainstreaming efforts. To date, more than $4.3 million in Lotus Circle Funds have been programmed through more than 100 grants and projects.
The Women Defending Indonesia’s Forests
Wednesday, March 8th, 2023“You can’t protect what you don’t love, and you can’t love what you don’t know.” Indonesian women harness the local power of social forestry.
Lotus Leadership Awards: Beyond a Sustainable Supply Chain
Wednesday, March 30th, 2022The adventurous Dutch fashion company G-Star, known for its sustainable denim, is also a force for development in Asia through its GSRD Foundation. GSRD will be honored April 6 with an Asia Foundation Lotus Leadership Award.