Women in Forestry

The world of forestry is often associated with ‘a man’s’ world'. But the good thing is, there are a number of women who have demonstrated their strength as leaders in the field of forestry i today.

One of them is Dian Novarina, Deputy Director of Sustainability & Stakeholder Engagement at APRIL Group. In addition to being a leader in the company’s business relations and sustainability team, Dian is also known as a practitioner who actively contributes to the national forestry sector.

At APRIL, the mother of two daughters is responsible for fostering relations between the company and key stakeholders in the forestry sector, such as academics, professional associations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as well as government institutions related to research and development.

Under Dian’s leadership, activities taken to enhance e strategic relations with stakeholders include promoting effective collaborative programs, conducting joint research studies, and providing support for the implementation of strategic programs.

Dian completed her master’s degree from the International Institute of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation in the Netherlands.

She is highly regarded outside of APRIL and is a regular contributor to the national business and forestry research communities. For example, she has served as the Deputy Chairperson of the Presidium of the National Forestry Council (DKN) for the period of 2018-2020.

Dian is also is actively involved as a board member of several professional organizations, such as the Indonesian Forest Concession Association (APHI), the Indonesian High Conservation Value Network (HCV-NI), the Indonesian Peat Association, the Indonesia Forestry Certification Cooperation (IFCC), and the Community Forestry Communication Forum (FKKM).

In addition, she serves as VP Partnership & Development Program with the Indonesia Global Compact Network, and is the Chair of the Business Chamber at the Representative Council of members of the Indonesian Ecolabeling Institute (LEI). She is also a member of the Expert Group at the International Peat Society (IPS) in the field of Peatlands and People, Health and Local Livelihood.

Her perseverance and passion for the world of forestry is inherited from her father and grandfather, who were also practitioners in the Indonesian forestry sector. Despite breaking the stereotype of women in the world of forestry, Dian doesn’t see that a significant challenge. . For her, both men and women are unique and complement each other in their important roles.

Dian's outstanding achievements are strongly supported by her family who have encouraged her to be a strong mother figure while inspiring others . "I strongly believe women have the choice to balance their career and family if they want to. As for myself, my family plays an important role that allows me to work hard and excel at my career. "