Jakarta, August 12th , 2021. PT XL Axiata Tbk (XL Axiata) and the Indonesian Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) collaborate again to support the productivity of women entrepreneurs of SMEs. This time the collaboration was realized in the form of the Sispreneur Program “Business Management Incubation Class (Assistance) of 1,000 Indonesian Women Entrepreneurs Dare to Go Upgrade. The Indonesian Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA), Bintang Puspayoga, and the President Director & CEO of XL Axiata, Dian Siswarini, inaugurated this educational program in Jakarta, Thursday (12/8). This is part of a series of celebrations for XL Axiata entering the age of 25 in an effort to Build a Digital Indonesia, as well as a commemoration of National MSME Day.
Minister Bintang said, "I welcome the implementation of the 2021 Sispreneur program as a form of synergy between the PPPA Ministry and PT XL Axiata, Tbk in organizing and realizing women's empowerment and child protection through the participation of the business world. And hopes that the training, which will be held in 2021, can answer the challenges still faced by women entrepreneurs, especially in opening access to knowledge related to understanding of gender perspectives, business planning, marketing and branding, as well as financial literacy and wider market access through digital marketing, so that in the end it can advance the business, improve the family economy, and contribute to the national economy.”
“One of the ways to recover the national economy is by increasing the nation's economic growth. In this case, the entrepreneurship ability of women is very important, considering that the opening of new businesses and business expansion will encourage the availability of employment opportunities to absorb the workforce which is increasing every year. Based on data on the Development of MSMEs and Large in Indonesia in 2014-2018, of all types of businesses in Indonesia, 99.99 percent of them are MSMEs. In addition, BPS data in 2018, shows that of the total MSMEs, more than 60 percent (about 37 million) are owned and managed by women,” added Minister Bintang.
Meanwhile, Dian Siswarini said, through the 2021 Sispreneur Incubation Class program, the participants, consisting of 1,000 women entrepreneurs of MSMEs divided from more than 20 (twenty) provinces in Indonesia, will receive business management assistance to develop their business by utilizing various digital technology-based facilities. According to him, digital technology offers an opportunity for anyone to be able to maximize their potential. For women micro-entrepreneurs, digital technology will allow them to penetrate a wider market, which is almost impossible to reach if they are not online. Digital technology will also make it easier for them to promote products and services more massively through social media or marketplace platforms.
“Women MSME actors are the parties most affected economically and socially during the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, this incubation class program is very relevant for us to hold at this time so that we can help on two sides at once, namely the women's side as the driving force of the family economy and the MSMEs they manage to support the family economy and drive the economy in the surrounding environment. This program is the second program that we have organized together with the Ministry of PPPA, after previously we succeeded in helping around 275 women entrepreneurs to enter the digital world,” said Dian Siswarini.
Participants of the 2021 Sispreneur Incubation Class came from several women communities of MSME actors who were assisted by the Ministry of PPPA. In carrying out this activity, XL Axiata and the Ministry of PPPA received support from several non-governmental organizations engaged in women's empowerment, namely the Association for the Women's Resource Development Center (PPSW), the Association for Women's Small Business Assistance (ASPPUK), the Foundation for the Empowerment of Women Heads of Family (PEKKA), KAPAL Perempuan, Kalyanamitra, Hapsari, Migrant Care, and the Indonesian Women's Coalition.
A number of materials taught in the 2021 Sispreneur Incubation Class include a gender perspective in entrepreneurship training, business planning, marketing and branding, financial literacy, and promotion through digital marketing. This year, there are several additional materials and skills that will be given to women entrepreneurs of MSMEs participating in this incubation program, including financial literacy material, which will be provided by a team from Bank BRI, regarding the need to prepare a good financial side to be able to continue to survive in running a business.
From XL Axiata, the participants of this program get facilities in the form of a SisterBiz starter card / sim card with the benefit of Free 500MB Quota (Free access to the Sisternet, Zoom, and elearn.id applications), as well as Whatsapp lecture assistance, and E-certificates. Also supported by Bank BRI by providing materials and resource persons in the field of financial literacy, it is hoped that the participants will be able to prepare the financial properly to be able to continue to survive in running their business and be able to become an economic driver for their families and the surrounding environment.
Sispreneur is part of the Sisternet program which aims to bring Indonesian women micro-entrepreneurs online. Because based on this background, discrimination and unequal opportunities for women are still found. In fact, 9.1% of Indonesia's Domestic Income comes from women micro-enterprises, of which 50% are managed by women. At least 10.2 million MSMEs in Indonesia, have the potential to go online, and become the engine of new economic growth.
Since its launch on April 23, 2015, Sisternet has now helped more than 40 thousand women. To continue to increase the value of benefits for Indonesian women, including women entrepreneurs of MSMEs, Sisternet collaborates with various women's communities and organizations, as well as with many social activists in various regions. In addition, Sisternet also actively cooperates with a number of government agencies. In addition to the Ministry of PPPA, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration, and the Ministry of Health.
Meanwhile, the Sisternet application as a digital solution for Indonesian women MSMEs has also presented the latest learning on demand features called Smart Webinar, Smart Discussion, and Sister Writing (Sister Menulis). These skills materials will make it easier for all Indonesian women to improve their skills to dare to go “upgrade” and become better. Sisternet application can be downloaded via Google Playstore and iOS AppStore.