This poster presents a doctoral Feminist Participatory (Creative) Action Research project conducted over seven months of fieldwork in the coastal villages of Demak Regency, located on the northern coast of Java Island by Andi Misbahul Pratiwi (School of Geography, University of Leeds). Java island is the most populous island in Indonesia that severely affected by tidal flooding due to the climate crisis and extractive development practices.  

In collaboration with Puspita Bahari, a fisherwomen’s movement in Demak, this research examined the impacts of these crises, the community’s adaptation strategies, and the emergence of feminist movements, all while centering gender as a critical lens. 

The study involved 38 women, representing diverse experiences including fishers, housewives, informal workers, women with diffabilities, and survivors of gender-based violence. Using participatory and creative methods, the research activities included: 

Phase 1: Initial discussions to consult with the community on data collection methods. 

Phase 2: Data collection in three tidal flood-affected villages utilizing in-depth interviews, observations, and creative workshops (including hand-drawn spatial maps and body maps). 

Phase 3: Co-created collective actions, including public discussions, fishing gear exhibitions, photo exhibitions, a zine, and an illustrated book. 

Feminist Participatory (Creative) Action Research provided a framework to capture the embodied experiences of communities living in disaster-affected areas. By positioning these women as experts and collaborators, this approach created spaces for them to articulate their perspectives and contribute meaningfully through collective actions. 

If you would like to find out more about the project, please contact Andi Misbahul Pratiwi (gyamp@leeds.ac.uk). Andi received a studentship from the University of Leeds and fieldwork funding from the GENERATE Project, funded by UK Research and Innovation.