In the words of Nariesta Reviana: “Did I ever want to stop? Yes, but I chose to persist”

Interviewed by Ryan Rihi

Nariesta Reviana, more commonly known as Tata, has been a National Gender Youth Activist (NGYA) for UN Women Indonesia since 2024. Prior to joining the NGYA, Tata was already active as an advocate on issues of gender and sexual diversity, as well as a holistic security trainer and paralegal. Her activism is rooted in concern over the widespread unmet rights of vulnerable groups, as well as legislation that restricts the rights to expression and assembly.

My entry into this movement (gender equality advocacy) began with a concern for myself. As a member of a vulnerable group, I did not receive any form of support from anyone. I ended up feeling alone, searching for a way to ease that unrest. I came to realize that there are many others experiencing the same struggles. From there, I tried to find a way to raise these issues alongside fellow advocates.

My journey in activism has not been without its challenges. On a personal level, the most common obstacles are pessimism and lack of awareness. From the surrounding environment, it is typically discrimination, as young people under 30 are still often regarded as lacking sufficient experience, and the issues they advocate for are not considered important enough.

As a young person who has spent nearly a decade advocating for these issues, I also feel that the space available for young people is very limited. At the same time, I find it quite disheartening that the young people involved tend to be the same faces over and over again, including those who are no longer young. This has led me to think about regeneration, sustainability and progress within the movement.

In terms of the issues themselves, the greatest risk lies in the matter of safety. Because of the advocacy work I carry out, I have experienced attacks by certain parties that ultimately left me in a state that was far from well, and forced me to cut ties with many people. Even with access to psychological support services, there has been no real progress in addressing all of its lasting effects.

Did I ever want to stop? Yes, but I chose to persist, because there are still many people who need me, and because I have yet to see a generation of successors who are truly committed to the movement. At the same time, to this day, there are still many gender-diverse individuals who, not infrequently, end up choosing to end their own lives.

For that reason, through the movement, I continue to be involved in providing education and capacity-building, offering accompaniment and support, and carrying out advocacy to this day. For a long time, I focused on my work at the grass-roots and national levels. Now, however, I am trying to open a broader network at the regional level. Because we cannot remain at the grass-roots level forever, as the grass-roots also need a push from above.

All this time, no organization and no collective will move forward without good collaboration and trustworthy communication. Young people need to be given space. We must be willing to fail, but at the same time, we must be willing to press forward for the sake of change.”