Transwomen Leading Covid-19 Pandemic Response: Experiences of an Indonesian Waria Community

Abstract

There is a lack of research on how Covid-19 pandemic affects transwomen populations in Indonesia, which creates a gap in understanding their vulnerabilities and resilience. Kebaya Foundation is an Indonesian Waria community that took part in responding to the Covid-19 outbreak in Yogyakarta in 2020. The initiative from Kebaya Foundation is timely following global agenda of leaving no one behind in DRR and humanitarian crisis underpinned by leadership of those most at-risk. Yet, there is limited scholarly evince that document the role and practice of the transwomen community in disaster response. This research aims investigate role and practices of Kebaya foundation in responding to Covid-19. A single case study method was adopted involving document reviews and semi-structured interviews with Kebaya Foundation staffs. The inquiry and analysis were guided by Pierre Bourdieu Social Practice theory The data were analyzed using thematic analysis and then we generate four themes related to role and experiences of Kebaya Foundation leading the Covid-19 response. This research shows that the Covid-19 pandemic increased the vulnerability of gender minority communities, while also providing opportunities for them to participate in emergency response efforts.