Presentation short abstract

Drawing on FPE, this paper argues that everyday water practices are not merely survival acts, but rather a form of political activism amidst financialised urban water. These mundane practices constitute pragmatic hope as a situated, collective, and persistent effort to pursue alternatives.

Presentation long abstract

In the context of financially driven urban water governance and the rise of authoritarianism in Jakarta, scholars and activists are compelled to think creatively about resistance in the pursuit of water justice. Inspired by Feminist Political Ecology (FPE), this paper argues that the everyday water practices conducted by women in Jakarta’s informal settlements are not merely an act of survival, but a form of activism in its own right. The mundane actions of negotiating with municipal water workers, navigating bureaucratic red tape, and tinkering with water infrastructure demonstrate residents’ refusal to accept financialised urban water governance. Working alongside and in support of a more legalistic approach to Jakarta’s water justice struggle, the everyday water practice serves as a pragmatic hope: a situated, collective and embodied practice of imagining the world otherwise. Such pragmatic hope through everyday water practice places women not just as victims, but rather as a vanguard of the water justice movement, whose persistent yet subtle political labour continues to challenge existing urban water inequality. The presentation begins by briefly outlining the ebb and flow of Jakarta’s water justice struggle. Then, by sharing images and excerpts from interviews with residents, the presentation demonstrates the shifts in perspective and strategy of Jakarta’s water justice movement. Next, using the same media, the presentation highlights the variety of mundane practices that residents carry out despite the uncertainties of water access. Ultimately, by presenting those points, this paper reinforces the importance of an active and stubborn act of resistance.