Labuan Bajo, E Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Forestry Ministry has issued six social forestry decrees in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), granting forest management access largely to women farmer groups, who make up 93 percent of the 335 beneficiaries, an official said.Director General of Social Forestry Catur Endah Prasetiani said on Thursday that the move marks a breakthrough in strengthening women’s leadership in natural resource management.Nationally, women account for only about seven percent of legal social forestry access holders.“This reflects a Kartini spirit, giving women real leadership roles in managing natural resources from upstream to downstream,” Prasetiani said.The six decrees cover 648.65 hectares across four districts: West Manggarai, East Manggarai, Manggarai and Sikka.Prasetiani said women’s roles have typically been limited to downstream activities, such as processing candlenuts into oil.With the new decrees, women are starting to take on upstream roles, including direct forest management.The ministry sees this shift as significant, as women managers increasingly adopt economic considerations in selecting high-value crops such as cloves and candlenuts.“This shows women’s independence in determining land management strategies,” she said.The ministry will monitor progress through the East Nusa Tenggara Social Forestry Center in Kupang.It hopes the initiative will strengthen women’s empowerment while supporting forest conservation and improving household incomes.