Media Literacy in Enhancing Women's Participation Towards Sustainable Development Goals in Indonesian Plantation Communities

Abstract

One of the goals of the Sustainable Development Goals is to achieve gender equality and empower women. The SDGs also mandate that women have ICT (Information and Communication Technology) skills. ICT skills are essential as women's participation is maximized in sustainable development. Research Objective: To identify the forms of women's participation in village development, especially media literacy skills in the form of ICT. The research location was in an oil palm plantation in Sukaluwei Village, Bangun Purba Sub-district, Deli Serdang Regency, Indonesia. Research informants were women who participated in development at the research location. Data collection methods used in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and observations. Data were collected through data reduction, presentation, analysis, and conclusion. The results showed that women's participation in development generally occupies a position as members and leaders in development activities in the village. They need help involving the community in activities and the difficulty of meeting time to discuss or decide on an activity. The media literacy skills in the form of ICT possessed by informants are the ability to use smartphones, where generally informants can use smartphones to send and receive messages such as making invitations and sending them, searching for materials, and forwarding important information back to the group. Based on the results of the in-depth interviews, media literacy (especially the ability to use a smartphone) and ICT skills are critical in supporting their involvement in village development. Media Literacy and ICT Skills Make Women's Participation Faster, Smoother, and More Effective.