Q&A with Gracia Plenita Agnindhira

Gracia Plenita Agnindhira (Agni) is the Training and Development Coordinator for the Alliance for Water Stewardship. To celebrate International Women’s Day, we spoke with Agni about her work and what it means to inspire inclusion.  

How would you describe your role to someone who may be unfamiliar with your area of work?

My role is to coordinate the development and delivery of training programmes that are both accessible and responsive to the needs of our alliance.    

What drew you to working in water in particular?

When I was in high school and living in Jakarta, I remember having to walk through flood waters or evacuate to another building almost every rainy season. Although the city has gone through rapid modernisation in public infrastructure and services, flooding is still a major issue. These experiences inspired me to study and understand water issues.  

What does a day in your job look like?

Working remotely with such an international team and network means having highly varied day-to-day responsibilities. A normal day includes working with the team in researching and developing training materials, organising course registration, delivery and reporting, and connecting with AWS Members and partners around the world.  

What does water stewardship mean to you?

Water stewardship means having a comprehensive understanding of how interconnected and interdependent we are as water users in a given space. Speaking to others in your surrounding area and forming trust-based relationships can lead to more opportunities for collective action.  

What achievement are you most proud of when it comes to your work with AWS?

I can think of several examples which are close to my heart. One of them is being part of the team that first introduced water stewardship to the Indonesian audience and built the foundation for future engagement. I am also greatly proud of the work involved in refreshing the AWS Standard System Training course to better meet the needs of our alliance, which ultimately helps us to achieve the AWS mission of igniting and nurturing global and local leadership in credible water stewardship.   

 What does International Women’s Day mean to you?    

International Women’s Day is an important reminder that efforts and resources are still continuously needed to ensure that women are well-represented and included in key issues, like water, around the globe.  

IWD 2024 urges us to ‘Inspire Inclusion,’ emphasizing the importance of promoting understanding and valuing women’s inclusion. Have you experienced moments in your career where feeling included led to positive outcomes or decisions?

I think I am quite lucky in the sense that I often found myself in environments (high school, universities and in the workplace) where women were well represented, and I have seen women who are strong leaders. I am fully aware this is not always the situation in different parts of the world, especially where I live. So, instead of highlighting moments of inclusivity, I would like to emphasise the value and significant role of my female mentors whom I have the privilege to work with in every stage of my life. From them, I have become so sensitized to gender inclusivity issues in a variety of contexts, learned how to live and work with it, and learned how to create a safe space for other women in the community.   

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