Commemorating World Women's Day, Kemen PPPA Creates Entrepreneurial Women

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (Kemen PPPA) is collaborating with PT. Kalbe Farma to commemorate International Women's Day 2021 which falls on this day. This collaboration, which is also supported by UN Women, UNDP, and Women's World Banking, will be present as an effort to empower women during the pandemic.

The Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA), Bintang Puspayoga fully supports the initiation of this collaboration in supporting the empowerment of women in Indonesia. According to her, women are one of the cogs who remain strong in fighting and contributing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"If not handled properly, the economic crisis can have a long-term impact on women's lives. Therefore, increasing women's empowerment in entrepreneurship is a joint opportunity to get out of the crisis situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic," said Minister Bintang in her written statement, Monday, March 8.

A total of 11 provinces will be the first targets of this initiation program. Includes Central Java, West Nusa Tenggara, DKI Jakarta, North Sumatra, Bangka Belitung Island, Aceh, Lampung, North Sulawesi, Central Kalimantan, Gorontalo and West Papua.

The entrepreneurship program will be carried out in the form of training on the potential for developing herbal/batik crafts, developing basic skills for the home industry, mentoring for home industries, and also at home industry exhibitions. This training will reach a broad range of women's MSMEs which are in line with the priorities of the PPPA Ministry for the 2020-2024 work period.

Based on the Data of the Development of Micro, Small, Medium (UMKM) and Large Enterprises in Indonesia for 2014-2018, of the total business units totaling 64 million business units, 99.99 percent of businesses in Indonesia are MSMEs, and more than 50 percent of micro and small businesses in Indonesia is owned and managed by women.

"For women, economic empowerment does not only function as a means to earn income but also as a tool to free themselves from the snare of violence and discrimination that binds them," she explained.

Minister Bintang hopes that International Women's Day can become a momentum to revive the spirit of solidarity in guarding women's empowerment work, especially in the economic sector because women's empowerment efforts need help and support from many parties.

"I really appreciate the initiation that was formed between the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry and Kalbe Consumer Health through Fatigon for Indonesian women to encourage women's empowerment and increase the role of women as strong figures in supporting the nation's economy and becoming the proud woman of Indonesia," she added.

President Commissioner of PT. Kalbe Farma Tbk, Bernadette Ruth Irawati Setiady explained that PT. Kalbe Farma Tbk as a health company in Indonesia is always committed to helping the government in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia.

Ira said that currently, the restrictions on community activities carried out to suppress the spread of COVID-19 have an effect on business activities which then have an impact on the economy, including affecting Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), especially those managed or owned by women.

"They experienced a decline in income, had difficulty getting raw materials and not a few also went out of business. At least the income from family businesses decreased by 82 percent," said Ira.

In addition, to appreciate the endurance of women in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry gave the award for "Women Pride of Indonesia". This award was given to nine women with the best roles who were considered to have struggled, worked hard to encourage women's empowerment in Indonesia.

The nine recipients of the "Indonesian Pride of Women" award include Ir. Zulminarni, MS., Inspirational Women Against Women's Empowerment (Chairperson of the PEKKA Empowerment Foundation/Empowerment of Women Heads of Families), Bernadette Ruth Irawati Setiady, Inspirational Women Businessman, Anne Avantie, Inspirational Women Toward Women's Empowerment through the Anne Avantie Foundation, Dian Sastrowardoyo, Inspirational Women Toward Women's Empowerment through the Dian Sastrowardoyo and Vidi A. Damayanti Foundation, Inspirational Women Entrepreneurs who are persistent in increasing women's entrepreneurship in Indonesia.