Simalungun, 21 July 2022. The Women20 Summit (W20 Summit) in Simalungun, Lake Toba, North Sumatra, 19-20 July 2022 produced a number of recommendations that emphasized several important issues related to women's empowerment and gender equality. These issues are rejecting discrimination and promoting gender equality, MSMEs owned and led by women, health responses that prioritize gender equality, as well as rural women and women with disabilities. This recommendation is also the basis for the preparation of a communiqué which will be submitted directly to the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo as the highest leader of the G20 Presidency of Indonesia, today, Thursday (21/07).
At the opening ceremony of the W20 Summit, in her remarks, the Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) of the Republic of Indonesia, Bintang Puspayoga explained that half of the world's population is women and the pandemic has had a greater impact on women. These impacts include low wages and job losses. The pandemic has pushed women into extreme poverty, even further widening the gender gap.
Bintang continued, the W20 Presidency of Indonesia focuses on four important issues. First, free from discrimination. Second, MSMEs owned or led by women are the key to inclusive growth. Third, promote health to recover together evenly. Fourth, inclusive economic growth to build resilience, with a focus on rural women and women with disabilities.
“In Indonesia, women play an important role in economic growth and development. They own and operate more than 50% of MSMEs in the country, which play an important role in the country's economy. It is also proven that economically empowered women are able to have a positive impact on the environment and their families”, explained Bintang.
On the same occasion, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, of the Republic of Indonesia Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, said, "The percentage of female workers in tourism in Indonesia has reached 55%, slightly higher than the global average of 54%. It is clear that women are often the backbone of tourism and the creative economy, proponents of well-being both at the family and community level, and guardians of our cultural heritage. I also often proudly tell that a number of senior officials up to the Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia are women.”
"The recovery of tourism and the creative economy is reflected in the expansion of business opportunities, job creation, and empowerment of MSMEs, with women at the forefront. Simply put, without the role of women, we cannot restore tourism and even economic conditions. Supporting women to be more competitive and continue to explore and optimize their potential is the obligation of all of us, "explained Sandiaga.
Meanwhile, the Governor of North Sumatra, Edy Rahmayadi, appreciated the holding of the W20 Summit in Lake Toba area. This international event further strengthens the image of Lake Toba as a national priority super tourism destination which has also been designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark. Edy Rahmayadi hopes that the W20 Summit in Lake Toba area can produce recommendations and bright ideas for women's empowerment to be brought to the G20 forum.
Chair of W20 Indonesia, Hadriani Uli Silalahi said, “The G20 has a strong role in promoting economic policies that have an impact and benefit the economic empowerment of women. We, W20, have the opportunity to influence global economic governance. The main thing is how to introduce gender-inclusive economic growth that is able to promote international peace in terms of protecting women and girls. We hope that the G20 leaders, starting with the Presidency of Indonesia, can push this implementation into a concrete form.”
"A total of 16 countries participated directly at the W20 Summit in Toba, including Argentina, Australia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the United States, the European Union up to Portugal. The presence of these 16 countries shows that the efforts made by the W20 Presidency of Indonesia over the last 7 months have received the attention of all G20 member countries. We then believe that we can open opportunities to continue to fight for women's empowerment so that it becomes the main focus of the G20 Presidency of Indonesia."
Appreciation of capital prizes with a total of Rp 300,000,000 for 10 W20 Sispreneur winners
At the opening of the W20 Summit, prizes and appreciation were also given symbolically to Indonesian female MSME actors who won the W20 Sispreneur event. There were 10 winners, each of whom won a prize in the form of business capital worth a total of Rp 300 million. The winners were Dian Rizki Hidayati from Bandar Lampung with a capital prize of Rp 55,000,000, Thekla Odelia Caramia from Jakarta with a capital prize of Rp 45,000,000, Yuliana Aqni from Salatiga with a capital prize of Rp 40,000,000, Nirwana from Sidoarjo with a capital prize of Rp. 35,000,000.
Then there were Nuqtoh Mutingatun from Garut with a capital prize of Rp 30,000,000, Dhea Ayu Andira Lubis from Surabaya with a capital prize of Rp 25,000,000, Fatimah Himmatina from Depok with a capital prize of Rp 22,500,000, Nani Nurhasanah from Tasikmalaya with a capital prize of Rp 20,000. 000, Ani Puspitasari from Sidoarjo with a capital prize of Rp 15,000,000, and Shinta Paramarti from Jakarta with a capital prize of Rp 12,500,000.
In addition to business capital prizes, the participants received online business management assistance through chat groups and FGDs, showcases for MSME products, mentoring with online assignment facilitators, as well as pre-test and post-test business assistance by global-level MSME experts.
The material given will be divided into four sessions. The first session contains product innovation and market segmentation such as how to reach the market with new innovations. The second session contains financial planning, including studying financial planning. The third session contains a business roadmap, including how to properly create a business roadmap. The fourth session contains digital marketing and branding, including how to recognize content marketing strategies.
With the assistance of capital for the winners, it is hoped that their business will develop further and reach a wider market through the use of digitization. If their business progresses, the benefits will also have a positive impact on the surrounding community and also support the wheels of the Indonesian economy. Furthermore, this action is expected to encourage economic empowerment of women, strengthen the knowledge of Indonesian womenpreneurs so as to reduce the occurrence of discrimination and violence against women.
At this W20 Summit, the winners also had the opportunity to attend a number of meeting sessions related to the empowerment of MSMEs. In addition, they also get the opportunity to show the products they produce through the MSMEs they manage.
The W20 Sispreneur selection process began on 1 April 2022. More than 1,000 participants registered to take part in the incubation program in the form of classes with four training topics. Participants who pass this initial selection are required to attend one month of training to raise their business standards so far.
In the next stage, all participants were directed to collect points through assignments and post-tests during the incubation program to select 100 participants who passed to the next stage. In the third stage, 100 participants were screened into 25 participants through the selection of the best business proposals. As many as 25 finalists with the best proposals participated in the judging and made their business presentations. Furthermore, the 10 best MSMEs are entitled to participate in product exhibitions at the W20 peak event in Lake Toba area, North Sumatra at the W20 Summit and receive mentorship for 6 weeks starting in August 2022 from international SME experts.
Held Expo and Business Mentorship for MSMEs at the W20 Summit in Toba
Parallel at the same time, the W20 Summit also held trade exhibitions or expos to business mentorship for local Indonesian MSME players who were also present in Toba. Local MSMEs, especially those driven by women, have become an important part of the series of W20 meetings that have been held in the previous four cities. Through this exhibition, the W20 engagement group wants to open up opportunities for local MSMEs to introduce and even market their processed products during the meeting. Also present on this occasion were representatives from XL Axiata, the Indonesian Export Financing Agency (LPEI), Gobi Partners and Ozora Yatrapaktaja, Wanmir Femina, UN Women, and the Together Digital Program who shared with all participants.
On this occasion PT Masa Genah Group introduced sustainable production and business models through their products, Nipah and Palm Oil Sticks as renewable commodities and sustainability products. This institution has succeeded in proving that palm oil sticks, which used to be plantation waste with no economic value, can be converted into high-value products by producing 47 products with 22 assisted MSMEs. Until now, their products have been able to penetrate the international market with exports to seven countries.
Uniquely, the false eyelash manufacturing industry from Central Java, led by Dewi Ekha Harlasyanti as CEO of PT Diva Prima Cemerlang Bersama, Manufacturer of The World Best False Eyelashes, also shared their experiences and tricks so that they could finally penetrate the international market to 10 countries, spread over 4 continents.
Dewi added that in the industry she leads, 54% of the MSME sector is owned by women with more than 80% of the employees are women. Contribution to the economy reached 61%. This is a clear example that women have not only become potential but have been able to contribute to the country's economy.
The implementation of W20 is in collaboration with International Knowledge Partners, UN agencies, civil society organizations, academia, government agencies and the private sector. After Toba, North Sumatra, the next agenda will be held in Denpasar, Bali from September to October 2022.