JAKARTA, MARCH 14, 2025 – PT XL Axiata Tbk (XL Axiata), along with the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection of the Republic of Indonesia (KemenPPPA) and its women empowerment program, Sisternet, reaffirmed its commitment to advancing gender based digital inclusion. In the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA, held from March 11 - 22, 2025, XL Axiata participated in a side event titled "Shaping an Inclusive Digital Economy: Indonesia & India's Leadership and ASEAN's Collaborative Vision," showcasing Indonesia's role in promoting inclusive digital economies at regional and global levels.
XL Axiata participation in CSW69 is part of a joint effort to encourage gender equality in the digital economy, particularly for women and disadvantaged groups in Indonesia and the ASEAN region. This biennial event, organised by UN Women and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), aims to examine critical problems concerning women's empowerment and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG five on gender equality.
Arifah Fauzi, Indonesia's Minister of Women Empowerment and Child Protection, stated, "Indonesia continues to commit to bridging the gender gap in the digital economy through actual measures such as Ruang Bersama Indonesia. These measures are intended to ensure that women, particularly women entrepreneurs, are not left behind in capitalising on the expanding digital economy prospects."
Arifah Fauzi added that women's participation in the digital economy faces numerous hurdles, including restricted access to technical skills and fears of online harassment. "We call on all parties to collaborate in creating a safe and inclusive digital space and accelerating investments in digital literacy and women's financial inclusion to realise a fair and prosperous digital economy for all," according to her.
Meanwhile, Dian Siswarini, President Director & CEO of XL Axiata, served as a major speaker on the panel, discussing Indonesia's experiences and best practices for developing an inclusive digital environment. Dian emphasised that XL Axiata is fully dedicated to achieving Indonesia's Golden Indonesia 2045 vision, including tackling the gender based digital economic gap through concrete and impactful programs.
"XL Axiata's presence at CSW69 shows our commitment to creating a fully inclusive digital ecosystem for all Indonesians, particularly women. We believe that digital inclusion is more than just a phrase, it is a critical basis for developing a stronger, more sustainable, and fair economy in Indonesia, as we strive for the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision and support the President and Vice President's Asta Cita," said Dian.
Dian Siswarini said during her CSW69 discussion that Sisternet's success stems from its emphasis on addressing the specific requirements of Indonesian women. "We continue to perform in depth research to better understand the specific requirements of Indonesian women. The findings of these studies serve as the foundation for building relevant and impactful training programs for participants," she stated.
According to Dian, while Indonesia has surpassed the global norm in terms of digital technology usage, gender disparities in access and utilisation of technology persist. According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS, 2024), women's literacy rates have improved from 96.8% in 2022 to 97.5% in 2024. This is worsened by disparities in internet usage between men and women in Indonesia, where, according to BPS data from 2023, 78.19% of males use the internet compared to 74.36% of women.
Another barrier is strong socio-cultural norms, particularly in conservative places, which can hinder women's capacity to actively engage with technology. Data suggest that only 34% of female entrepreneurs in Indonesia use digital platforms for their firms, compared to 54% of men. Furthermore, the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan, 2023) reports that the high rate of online gender-based violence (OGBV), with 80% of victims being women, exacerbates the already existing digital gap.
In response to these challenges, XL Axiata has been constantly implementing the Sisternet program since 2015. Sisternet is a digital network dedicated to empowering Indonesian women through digital literacy, digital entrepreneurship (womenpreneurship), and education in digital security and financial technology.
As of early 2025, the Sisternet program had taught more than 1 million women in Indonesia, both urban and rural. Sisternet's effectiveness can be measured by women's increasing participation in digital businesses, their capacity to manage online operations, and heightened awareness of digital security.
In addition to external programs like Sisternet, XL Axiata's Diversity & Inclusion policy indicates its commitment to gender equality. Currently, women hold around 33% of managerial roles at XL Axiata, which exceeds the industry average for technology businesses in Indonesia.
XL Axiata also provides a variety of leadership training programs tailored exclusively to female employees in order to encourage women to advance to important roles in the future. This is a practical step towards establishing a more inclusive and equal work environment that fully supports women's career growth.
XL Axiata takes part at CSW69 in collaboration with KPPPA, Microsave, and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia (PTRI) in New York. This collaboration seeks to boost Indonesia's position in the international community while also ensuring that strategic recommendations on gender-based digital inclusion are properly implemented in Indonesia.
The CSW69 forum made several key recommendations, including ensuring that women and girls have equitable access to digital opportunities, offering gender responsive digital education, and increasing digital security so that women can utilise technology without fear of online gender-based violence (OGBV). These ideas serve as strategic guides for boosting progress towards SDG 5 and Indonesia's Golden Indonesia 2045.
XL Axiata's involvement in CSW69 strengthens its commitment as a pioneer in inclusive, sustainable, and gender-equitable digital transformation in Indonesia and the ASEAN region.
XL Axiata and its strategic partners intend to broaden the positive impact of Sisternet and other women empowerment programs through several key strategies, such as making Sisternet a value added service for all XL Axiata customers, expanding collaboration with local and international communities to reach more women, particularly in remote areas, and providing educational materials tailored to specific needs, such as digital entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, fintech and e-commerce.