Community Ally
Honouree
Gaby Septiani
Indonesia
My name is Gaby Septiani, born in Bogor City on September 16, 1969, the first child of four siblings. I am a transgender woman who has a high fighting spirit and is independent. For me, being a transgender woman is not an obstacle in achieving an ideal and life goal. The perseverance and fighting spirit that are within me are the main keys in navigating the journey of life. And I always feel proud to be a transgender woman who can always provide benefits to other transgender friends.
Brief information about your work
I am the founder and owner of the Srikandi Pakuan Panggah Foundation, which was established in 2010 in Bogor City. The Srikandi Pakuan Panggah Foundation was founded with the background of the problems that are always faced by transgender friends. Starting from economic, health, education, social and cultural problems. The purpose of Srikandi Pakuan Panggah is to be a forum and home for transgender people so that an independent and empowered transgender group can be realized based on human rights.
In addition, I am also a community counselor who has received a certificate from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia in 2015. In the HIV and AIDS Prevention program through the Foundations Health International (FHI) project. Until now I also still provide assistance to the transgender community, in accessing health, identity services and empowerment programs.
I am also actively involved in advocating for discriminatory Bogor city government policies, collaborating with alliances of community organizations and civil society. As well as being a member of the Bogor City District Task Force alliance, in realizing social contracting programs between the government and civil society organizations and communities, running government budget advocacy programs for HIV prevention programs in Bogor City through self-management and grant mechanisms.
What one achievement you’ve accomplished that you’re most proud of? Why?
Becoming a certified community counselor and founder of the Foundation is the greatest achievement in my life. Where I have proven to society. That, being a transgender woman is not an obstacle in pursuing ideals and dreams to provide benefits to fellow human beings. This certainly has a positive influence and impact in reducing the stigma for the transgender group.
What do you find most challenging about your work? Why?
The most challenging thing in my job is the limited space for movement due to government regulations that discriminate against gender-diverse communities, one of which is in the Bogor city area, namely the P4S regional regulation, or Bogor city regional regulation No. 10 of 2021 concerning the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Deviant Behavior, which corners gender-diverse minority groups.
What do you do to recharge your battery?
Doing fun things like exercising, gathering with family, and sharing knowledge with Srikandi Pakuan Panggah members and going to tourist attractions.
What is your vulnerability and how do you overcome it?
Age and Health are vulnerabilities for myself, where now I have reached old age. There are still many hopes, dreams and ideals that have not been realized in providing benefits to members of Srikandi Pakuan Panggah and other Communities.
You have been nominated for the Community Ally category. What was your reaction and please, tell us why?
Of course I am very proud to have been selected in this nomination, and very grateful to the entire community network both at the National and Regional Levels who have supported me and trusted me to continue to be able to fight in providing benefits for my transgender friends and other communities. And I am very grateful to APCOM who has given many opportunities for Srikandi Pakuan Panggah which is a newly developing grassroots organization and is given support in having institutional legality through funding support from Global Affair Canada (GAC)
What is a warm/hopeful message that you would like to share with the communities in the Asia Pacific?
Let us continue to fight for humanity and for justice for groups that are always marginalized. And let us fight together to prove to the world that our Movement is a movement of change that is beneficial for life in the future.
