Gov’t to Optimize G20 Presidency to Boost Women Role in Entrepreneurship, Minister Says

Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs Teten Masduki (Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat)

The Government through Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) will optimize the momentum of Indonesia’s G20 Presidency to boost the role of Indonesian women entrepreneurs through business inclusion in the framework of rebuilding national economy.

“Considering the cross-cutting issues of women, Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs continues to take measures to improve equality and welfare through gender-friendly policies, as well as to achieve economic inclusion by supporting MSMEs owned and run by women,” Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs Teten Masduki remarked at the side event of the G20 Seminar under the theme “Empowering Women Entrepreneurs through Inclusive Business” in Jakarta, Tuesday (03/22).

The Minister further said that Indonesia has more than 64 million MSMEs that contribute to the National GDP amounting to 60 percent, adding that 64 percent of total MSMEs are owned and run by women. Thus, he continued, the empowerment of MSMEs in Indonesia means the empowerment of Indonesian women.

“The increase in women role needs to be encouraged into the mainstreaming of policies related to MSMEs so that women are no longer placed as secondary or complementary players, but women will become major players in the sustainability of MSMEs,” Teten added.

Therefore, in a bid to boost women’s role in MSMEs, the Government must provide supports including payment access, export support, training for employees, improvement in product quality, and infrastructure development, especially in rural areas.

On that occasion, Minister of Women Empowerment and Child Protection I Gusti Ayu Bintang Darmawati said that women empowerment in entrepreneurship is also one of the Ministry’s priorities mandated by the President.

“Women play a strategic role in Indonesian MSMEs, where women run 34 percent of medium-sized enterprises, 50.6 percent of small-sized enterprises, and 52.9 percent of micro-sized enterprises,” she said.

It is expected that through Indonesia’s G20 Presidency under the theme “Recover Together, Recover Stronger”, women can be fully involved in rebuilding global economy, according to the Minister.

“When women are empowered and children are well protected, then community welfare can be achieved,” she asserted. (PR of Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs/UN) (AP/HD/MUR)