Stella Hutagalung is a researcher and GEDSI (Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion) expert with over 15 years of experience in the social development sector and more than six years in teaching and research in Anthropology. Specializing in Cultural Anthropology, her work focuses on Ethnographic Research, Gender and Social Inclusion, and the Anthropology of Religion. She has led extensive qualitative research across diverse regions in Indonesia on issues including religious practices, poverty reduction, education, health services, and social protection—particularly for people with mental disabilities and the elderly in rural areas. Her research is widely used to support policy advocacy, bridging academic insight with practical development strategies.

As GEDSI Senior Specialist at WRI Indonesia, Stella leads efforts to integrate Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) across programs. She also oversees engagement with government, civil society, the private sector, and other stakeholders to ensure GEDSI priorities are reflected in policies and practices. Internally, she supports strategic planning, offers technical and policy guidance, and collaborates with teams to embed tailored GEDSI approaches into WRI Indonesia’s climate and decarbonization strategies. As the organizational focal point for GEDSI, she works to build capacity and foster inclusive practices across all activities.

Stella holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the Australian National University (2015), with a dissertation examining Muslim-Christian Relations in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara. She also holds an M.Phil. in Anthropology and Development from the University of Bergen, Norway (2007), where her thesis explored Women’s Roles in Peacebuilding following the Ambon conflict.

Before joining WRI Indonesia, Stella served as Senior GEDSI Specialist and Advisor to the Eastern Indonesia Researcher Network at the KONEKSI Program—a DFAT-funded initiative supporting partnerships between Australian and Indonesian research institutions for inclusive and sustainable policy. Previously, she was the GEDSI Adviser for MAHKOTA, a DFAT-funded program focused on social protection and poverty reduction. She also worked as a Senior Qualitative Researcher at The SMERU Research Institute (January 2007-June 2009, and October 2015 – July 2018), where she led research design, implementation, and dissemination.