Empowering Indonesia’s micro and ultra micro female businesses in digital literacy and entrepreneurship

Part of DCMS’ International Tech Hub Network.

Overview

Challenge

Clear gender gap in digital readiness, with only 38% of women digitally knowledgeable

Solution

  • 6 month training programme empowering marginalised women with digital literacy and entrepreneurship training

  • 6 month post-programme support

Impact

  • Total of 158 marginalised women supported

  • 90% of participants are digitally conscious, and now able to operate a variety of mobile applications

  • 64 women experienced increased gross profit despite COVID-19

  • 82 products available on online marketplaces

Background

Women have played a prominent role in the digital era, as evidenced by the growing number of female entrepreneurs in the past 3 years. According to IWAPI (Ikatan Wanita Pengusaha – Indonesia’s premier association of women’s enterprises), in 2015, women represented 60% of the total 49.9m entrepreneurs in Indonesia – that number continues to grow by 20% annually.

The impact of COVID-19 on the global economy has necessitated increased entrepreneurship, with many women launching home-based businesses. However, the difficult economic climate and social distancing restrictions have had a negative impact on sales. Technology skills are therefore entrepreneurs’ best tool to develop their business to survive and thrive in these uncertain times.

Programme

The UK-Indonesia Tech Hub – in collaboration with Krealogi by Du Anyam, and the Indonesian Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection – launched the HERFuture programme, designed to provide digital literacy and entrepreneurship training to support ultra-micro and micro female owned businesses. The programme also served as COVID-19 crisis response support for women and under-represented groups, who were heavily affected by the pandemic.

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102 participants were selected from 370 applicants, to participate in the training programme which was delivered November 2020 – February 2021, including launch and graduation events. 56 women were kept on a reserve list to allow for any dropouts, all of whom were ultimately fully included in the training programme to ensure as many marginalised women as possible to be empowered, taking the full number to 158. Training was delivered virtually, with the support of local facilitators in the 6 targeted districts of Indonesia.

HERFuture consisted of 8 training modules which addressed supply chain, digital literacy, digital marketing, the use of apps, market access (in partnership with local marketplace giant Shopee), and financial literacy (in partnership with BTPN Syariah Bank) amongst other topics.

The pilot programme embedded knowledge of sustainability in business and provided personal digital upskilling, supporting female entrepreneurs in the target markets to enhance their livelihoods.

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I found this training very useful – it has made bookkeeping and everything related to finance and production planning much easier. We also got the chance to expand our network by meeting other home industry entrepreneurs from different cities.

Tech Hub leadership

The UK-Indonesia Tech Hub provided full bursaries for all HERFuture participants.

Through this partnership, the Hub is supporting marginalised women to develop their digital literacy skills, for better livelihoods and poverty reduction – particularly critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the Hub is stimulating inclusive growth of the Indonesian digital ecosystem.

Looking to the future

Participants rated the training programme 4.6/5, with the vast majority finding it helpful and exciting, and would recommend it to friends and colleagues. Following the programme, 90% of participants have become more digitally conscious and gone on to use mobile applications for their businesses.

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The success of the programme has been recognised by other local governments, who have accordingly expressed interest in conducting similar training in their own districts.

For more information

Read local media coverage of the partnership:

Jakarta Post: RI, UK to launch entrepreneur training for women

Indonesian Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection website: Launch of the HERFuture online training

More about HERFuture and the UK-Indonesia Tech Hub

To learn more about HERfuture and the UK-Indonesia Tech Hub please contact: [email protected].

The UK government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) is building a global network of Tech Hubs. The International Tech Hub Network aims to forge innovation partnerships between the UK and international tech sectors, stimulate local digital economies; and build high-end digital skills to drive sustainable jobs and growth.

Contact the network at: [email protected]

Published 18 June 2021