Jakarta, 7 January 2023. PT XL Axiata Tbk (XL Axiata) continues to increase the benefits of the "Sisternet" program, which is aimed at Indonesian women. One of the efforts made is to continue to encourage increased digital literacy among women owners and managers of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) throughout Indonesia. XL Axiata believes that the use of digital facilities and technology will accelerate women's MSMEs to be more empowered, productive, and "upgraded". One way to encourage increased digital literacy is by holding the “Modal Pintar 2023” Competition.
President Director & CEO of XL Axiata, Dian Siswarini, said, "Through Sisternet, we are committed to supporting the empowerment of Indonesian women through increasing digital literacy so that they are able to become agents of change for their families and surrounding communities. Given their role as a support for the family economy, through Sisternet we are also trying to support Indonesian women so that they are better prepared to face the economic condition which is not easy currently and in the future. We have prepared various plans to support Indonesian women to be more empowered, including those who own and manage MSMEs, as well as persons with disabilities.”
Starting in 2015, Sisternet has organized various programs for digital technology use to empower women. The Sisternet program has organized more than 300 self-development classes for women. More than 200 thousand female small business owners have participated in educational classes on the use of these digital tools.
Complete information about the Sisternet program and all its activities and excitement can be accessed through the website sisternet.co.id. This website provides a lot of information that can be learned and used by women to develop their potential and improve skills, ranging from self-care, family health, parenting, to expertise in financial management.
In addition, Sisternet also pays great attention to women owners and managers of MSMEs. The information presented is not only about business development materials but also discusses the daily life of women with their families and inspiring stories from women who have succeeded. Sisternet information and excitement can also be found on social media via YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter platforms.
Sisternet also comes in the form of an application that includes many features, such as educational articles, various webinars with interesting topics, educational forums through smart discussions, Sister's shop which is a promotional slot for female MSMEs assisted by Sisternet, as well as free web banners that can be used for promotion. To date, a total of more than 58 thousand MSMEs owned by women have received support from XL Axiata through the Sisternet application which can be downloaded via the Apple App Store and Google Playstore.
“Modal Pintar 2023” Competition with the Prize of IDR 200 Million
The “Modal Pintar 2023” Competition by Sisternet provides an opportunity for women MSME owners to take part in various digital skills classes needed for business development. Apart from that, this event also challenged the participants to dare to take business opportunities in the form of a total business capital of IDR 200 million, plus assistance from several experts to develop their businesses.
Since it was opened simultaneously with the start of the 2023 Smart Webinar Festival, last December 2022, it has been recorded that there have been more than 17,000 Indonesian women, including from the cities of Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Medan, Pasuruan, Denpasar, Semarang, Makassar, and Yogyakarta who have registered for the “Modal Pintar” (Smart Capital) Competition 2023. They are women owners of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from various regions in Indonesia. The registration process for program participants who receive support from the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, as well as the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection of the Republic of Indonesia will end on January 18, 2023.
According to Dian, data from the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs shows that by 2021 there are as many as 65.5 million MSMEs in Indonesia. About 64.5% of them are MSMEs owned and managed by women. Of these, only 26.5% have utilized digital means to support their business. The government itself encourages all parties to participate in strengthening MSMEs as one of the pillars of the national economy as well as being the backbone of the household economy.
"Therefore, digital transformation as a whole is very important in advancing women entrepreneurs so that they have competitiveness in the digital era. Indonesian womenpreneurs must be prepared so that later they can fully optimize the potential of the digital economy which is projected to be IDR. 4,531 trillion in 2030. Moreover, in today's all-digital era, there are various opportunities that they can achieve if they have an adequate level of digital literacy, both for promotional purposes and marketing, production, transactions, to operations, and financial management," continued Dian.
To be able to take part in the “Modal Pintar” Competition 2023, participants must submit business plan articles via the Sisternet application, attend a series of training classes or webinars, and make a business plan for the next two years. This year, XL Axiata will also provide opportunities for MSMEs women with disabilities to take part in the “Modal Pintar” Competition 2023.
The selection will be carried out to recruit 200 potential MSME participants who can proceed to the selection stage for the business management incubation class. After that, another selection will be carried out to recruit 30 finalists to enter the advisory session stage and continue to the judging where the finalists will present their business plan in front of the jury. In the final stage, only eight participants will be selected to receive a total capital prize of IDR 200 million as well as business incubation and assistance for three months. During the incubation period, the finalists will receive training on product innovation and market segments, finance, 2023 business roadmap, and digital marketing.