Jakarta, 4 June 2022. The initiatives and support for the G20 agenda of the Indonesian Presidency continue. Through W20 Sispreneur, which is a collaboration between the engagement group Women20 (W20) and Sisternet from PT XL Axiata Tbk (XL Axiata), this program has succeeded in attracting more than 1,000 participants. All participants who registered consisted of womenpreneurs domiciled in West Java, East Java, Sumatra, Central Java, DKI Jakarta, Bali & Nusa Tenggara, Banten, Kalimantan, to Sulawesi. A series of incubation classes that will be held throughout June 2022, attended by participants who are dominated by the types of food and beverage processing, fashion, services, crafts, beauty, and agribusiness with an average monthly turnover of Rp. 5 million to Rp. 100 million. This collaboration program is in accordance with President Joko Widodo's aspirations that the momentum of Indonesia's G20 presidency can be utilized to continue to encourage the role of MSMEs and women through a variety of concrete actions.
Lenny N. Rosalin, Deputy for Gender Equality at the Ministry of PPPA (Kemen PPPA) of the Republic of Indonesia, noted that from a total of 65.5 million business units, 99.99 percent of them were driven by MSMEs, with women accounting for more than 50 percent. In order to encourage the role of women as economic drivers, the Ministry of PPPA promotes three primary programs. First, digital solutions to run a business while taking care of household and family responsibilities. Second, policies to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem as stated in Law no. 11 of 2020 and PP No. 2 of 2022. Third, financial inclusion and digital literacy which contains a national strategy for inclusive finance for women to support MSMEs.
"Through W20 Sispreneur, the PPPA Ministry and XL Axiata are working together to promote an inclusive economy by supporting Indonesian womenpreneurs to #BeraniNaikClass through access to capital and digital transformation. A series of business incubation, pitching, and judging classes which will be held in 2022 are expected to be able to produce superior and empowered female MSMEs," explained Lenny.
In line with KPPPA, Chair of W20 Indonesia, Uli Silalahi explained that, “The main objective of W20 is to strengthen the role of women in the world economic sector by various means such as the establishment of a friendly environment and policies, as well as increasing women's opportunities for investment. I hope that the W20 Sispreneur program, with well-designed classes, can provide benefits for women MSMEs to scale-up, and of course have an increasingly positive impact on the role of women in the Indonesian economy.”
On the same occasion, the Co-Chair of W20 Indonesia and also the President Director of XL Axiata, Dian Siswarini revealed that XL Axiata has a responsibility to provide digital solutions, training, mentoring, and opportunities so that women can get the same opportunities, through the Sisternet program. As part of the Sisternet program, Sispreneur takes the form of business management incubation classes through the use of digital for womenpreneurs.
"Up to now, this program has succeeded in assisting more than 1,000 womenpreneus actors in various regions in Indonesia. Furthermore, 79 % of Sispreneur program participants have successfully transitioned to go digital. We continue to strive to be able to support more other womenpreneurs to be able to go digital and also go global. That is why W20 engages with Sispreneur in the hopes that the W20 delegates' policies and suggestions would provide insight and access for womenpreneurs to rise to the international level”, Dian explained further.
In line with the recommendations issued by W20 during the G20 Presidency of Indonesia, the National Program Officer for Women Entrepreneurship from UN Women Indonesia, Pertiwi Triwidiahening said that UN Women is committed to continuing to build collaboration and cooperation with various partners, including stakeholders, to strengthen entrepreneurship with a gender perspective by providing equal opportunities for skills development for women entrepreneurs through training with innovative approaches, as well as opening up access for women entrepreneurs to network.
Appreciation for Rp. 300 million in working capital
The W20 Sispreneur selection process begins with submitting articles since April 1, 2022. More than 1,000 participants have registered to take part in the incubation program in the form of classes with four training topics. Participants who pass this initial selection are required to attend one month of training to raise the business standards they have so far.
In the next stage, all participants were directed to collect points through assignments and post-tests during the incubation program to select 100 participants who passed to the next stage. In the third stage, 100 participants will be screened into 25 participants through the selection of the best business proposals. As many as 25 finalists with the best proposals will participate in the judging and present their business. Furthermore, the 10 best MSMEs are entitled to participate in a product exhibition at the G20 peak event in the Lake Toba area, North Sumatra in July 2022.
Appreciation for the 10 best MSMEs in the form of business capital with a total of Rp. 300 million. Participants will also receive online MSME assistance through chat groups and FGDs, showcase for MSME products, mentoring with online assignment facilitators, as well as pre-test and post-test business assistance by global-level MSME experts.
The material given will be divided into four sessions. The first session focuses on product innovation and market segmentation such as how to reach the market with new innovations.
The second session focuses on financial planning, including financial planning research. The third lesson includes a company roadmap, as well as instructions on how to make a proper business roadmap. The fourth session contains digital marketing and branding, including how to recognize content marketing strategies.
With the help of capital for the winners, it is hoped that their business will develop more and reach a wider market through the use of digitalization. If their business progresses, the benefits will also have a positive impact on the surrounding community and also support the wheels of the Indonesian economy. Furthermore, this action is expected to encourage economic empowerment of women, strengthen the knowledge of Indonesian womenpreneurs so as to reduce discrimination and violence against women.