In the Kendeng Mountains of Java, Indonesia, women farmers known as the ‘Kartinis of Kendeng’ are leading a years-long resistance against the state-owned company PT Semen Indonesia. Their fight is to stop a cement factory from mining the Kendeng Karst, a sacred limestone formation they revere as Ibu Bumi (Mother Earth), which provides a reliable source of clean water for their farms and communities. Led by farmer Sukinah, the women placed themselves on the frontlines, staging a two-year blockade of the construction site and filing a lawsuit against the company. Their struggle gained international attention when they repeatedly traveled to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, to perform a visceral act of protest: encasing their feet in cement blocks outside the presidential palace. Despite winning a landmark case in Indonesia’s Supreme Court, their victory was nullified when the provincial governor immediately issued a new permit. The movement turned tragic when activist Patmi died from a heart attack after a protest in 2017. Though the factory was eventually built, the Kartinis of Kendeng are continuing their fight. They use cultural ceremonies and their unwavering solidarity to protect their land and water.
