MEDAN, MARCH 6, 2025 – PT XL Axiata Tbk (XL Axiata) through Sisternet, established the “SheInspire Sinergi Berdaya: Shining, Rising Together program” to empower female inmates at the IIA Tanjung Gusta Women's Correctional Facility in Medan, on Thursday, March 6. This program, launched in collaboration with the Republic of Indonesia's Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (KemenPPPA), is part of an effort to assist the economic empowerment of female convicts in ten women's prisons all over Indonesia, including Medan. Sisternet offers them with entrepreneurship skills, computer literacy, and psychosocial assistance to help them reintegrate into society after they are released from prison.
The event was attended by Desy Sari Dewi, Group Head of XL Axiata West Region; Horas Lubis, Head of Sales XL Axiata Northern West; Nadra Dwiyana, Head of Direct Channel Region West; Yekti Apriyanti, Amd. IP, S.Pd, M.Si, Head of the IIA Women's Correctional Facility in Medan; and the inmates.
Desy Sari Dewi, Group Head of XL Axiata West Region, stated, "We believe that every woman, including those in prison, has the opportunity to strive and create a better future. We anticipate that this program will provide them with actual abilities in both business and digitalisation, allowing them to better prepare for any challenges that await them after they are released."
Desy further explained that many women who are released from jail suffer limited employment possibilities and social stigma, which make it difficult for them to integrate into society. This program offers a holistic approach that includes skills, self confidence, and a supportive social network, allowing each woman to pursue her aspirations and make constructive contributions to society. Together, we can effect substantial change.
The SheInspire Sinergi Berdaya women's empowerment program is designed by four measurable, valuable objectives. It provides two forms of training to equip learners with comprehensive capability, soft skills and hard skills. Online soft skills seminars offer key topics such as public speaking, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and mental health. Meanwhile, hands-on hard skills training emphasises practical abilities like baking and cake making, as well as fabric based art decoration techniques like tufting, which have a high market value.
By integrating the two types of training, Sisternet aspires to guarantee that participants receive the managerial skills and mental readiness necessary for their eventual financial independence in addition to technical skills. This program is intended to help participants attain their full potential and prepare them for challenges in the workplace.
Yekti Apriyanti, Amd. IP, S.Pd, M.Si, Head of the IIA Women's Correctional Facility in Medan, stated that the training is expected to help the participants adjust better upon their return and have a substantial positive impact on their future lives. Furthermore, this program helps to improve mental health and self-confidence, allowing individuals to confidently enter a new chapter of their lives.
This program will run until May 2025, with a focus on short-term incubation training to empower participants. To ensure the program's long-term viability and success, each institution will assign a mentor to support and guide participants after the program is completed. XL Axiata is committed not just to giving training, but also to creating an ecosystem that supports the long-term viability of their enterprises after reintegration into society.