Denpasar, May 22 2025 – PT XLSMART Telecom Sejahtera Tbk (XLSMART), through the Sisternet women's empowerment program, in collaboration with the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection (MoWECP) of the Republic of Indonesia, continues to advance the Shelnspire Sinergi Berdaya: Bersinar Bangkit Bersama program. This initiative focuses on building the future of female inmates in correctional facilities. This program is designed to support the economic empowerment of female inmates in 10 Women's Correctional Institutions (Lapas) spread across various regions in Indonesia. They are equipped with entrepreneurial skills, in-depth digital literacy, and virtual psychosocial support to accelerate social reintegration and access to the digital ecosystem after being released from prison.
In the training program held at the Class IIA Women's Prison in Kerobokan, Denpasar, Bali, on Wednesday (5/22), the Regional Group Head of XLSMART East Region, Dodik Ariyanto, and the Deputy for Gender Equality of the Ministry of WEPC RI, represented by Maftuh Muhtadi, SS., MPP, as a Young Expert Planning Functional, Ministry of WEPC RI, were present.
Assistant Deputy for Gender Equality in the Economic, Infrastructure, Regional Development, and Regional Government Sector I, Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection of the Republic of Indonesia, Eni Widiyanti, through her representative, said, "I highly appreciate this initiative, where social reintegration for incarcerated women is a significant challenge, especially in overcoming stigma and discrimination in society. This program serves as a bridge of hope, equipping them with skills that not only support economic independence but also restore self-esteem and confidence to reintegrate as productive members of society. We hope this initiative can inspire more companies and organizations to join in the efforts of empowering women. With the right support and intervention, incarcerated women can have a better future and be economically empowered.”
Meanwhile, Dodik Ariyanto emphasized the company's commitment to empowering women through technology and skills training. "We believe that every woman, including those in prison environments, has great potential to rise and build a better future." Through this program, we hope to provide real skills, both in entrepreneurship and digitalization, so that they are better prepared to face challenges after their release. Many women who leave prison face limited access to economic opportunities and social stigma that hinder their adaptation process in society. This program serves as a solution with a comprehensive approach that includes aspects of skills, self-confidence, and supportive social networks.”
Implementation in 10 Women's Prisons
This series of the SheInspire Sinergi Berdaya program will be implemented in nine women's prisons in various other cities, namely Yogyakarta, Tangerang, Medan, Bandung, Lampung, Lombok, and Makassar. The selection of these locations was based on the assessment results conducted by MoWEPC and XLSMART according to the needs and readiness of the facilities in each prison.
This training program has four measurable objectives. First, improve entrepreneurial skills through intensive training for former female convicts so they can develop their own businesses. Second, building self-confidence through seminars and motivational sessions so that they are ready to adapt to the social environment and the business world. Third, facilitating social networks by creating opportunities to build connections with mentors, entrepreneurial communities, and the business world. And fourth, providing moral and social support for participants to face challenges after being released from prison.
Specifically at the Class IIA Women's Prison in Kerobokan, Bali, this program consists of two main types of training, namely soft skills and hard skills, to equip participants with comprehensive skills. The first hard skill class is the Steamed Cake Baking Class with Ribka Tinta, owner of Roti Memori Bali & Ribka's Baking Class. The second practical class is tie-dye creations and their business opportunities from Hobi Jadi Cuan with Kala Luang. As for the soft skills topic, it covers how to manage household finances and start a micro business with Sherinne Budiman. Through the combination of these two trainings, participants are expected to not only have technical skills but also mental readiness and managerial abilities to support economic independence in the future.
The Head of the Class IIA Women's Prison in Kerobokan, Ni Luh Putu Andiyani, added, "We are very proud that our inmates can participate in the Sisternet SheInspire training from XLSMART. This program is not just a skills training, but also a space for coaching and empowerment for female inmates to rediscover their identity, spirit, and potential. We believe that every woman deserves a second chance, and through SheInspire, we are committed to continuously paving the way for positive change. Hopefully, with this activity, Correctional Residents will have the skills and resources to reintegrate into society and bring benefits to their families and the community at large.”
This program will run until July 2025, with the final class being held at the Women's Prison IIB NTB. Focused on short-term incubation training to ensure sustainability and effectiveness, there will be a supervising head in each prison who will assist and accompany the participants after the program ends. Furthermore, XLSMART not only strives to provide training but also to build an ecosystem that supports the sustainability of their businesses after release. Digital technology is key in opening up broader market access and labor opportunities for them.
Starting in October 2024, the SheInspire program initiated by Sisternet in collaboration with the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection (MoWEPC) has reached more than 380 female inmates in 9 correctional facilities, including Tangerang I & II, Lampung, Malang, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Medan, Makassar, and Denpasar. This program has received an outstanding response in every online training session. Based on the evaluations conducted, participants expressed interest in starting a business after the training period and already have business ideas they want to develop.
Not only that, the mental health sessions in this program also had a significant impact: 98% of participants felt more capable of managing their emotions in daily life, and 100% became more confident in communicating and able to face anxiety when speaking in public. This has a positive impact on the inmates and the environment of the Women's Prison. In terms of the businesses run by the inmates within the prison, their sales also increased by 5%.
Next July, SheInspire will be present at the NTB Women's Prison as part of the final training program series in 2025, which will then move into the assessment finalization stage, where the results will lead to the development phase for inmates who have completed their rehabilitation period in the prison.
Looking ahead, SheInspire will continue to expand its reach to more women's correctional facilities in various regions of Indonesia and increase the number of class sessions with more diverse topics until the end of 2026. Additionally, this program will provide ongoing support post-training through business idea incubation, more in-depth financial literacy training, and marketing connections to the digital ecosystem to ensure their businesses are marketed online. This program is also planned to engage more private sector partners to strengthen the support network for SheInspire participants and alumni.