Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Bintang Puspayoga, in a press statement issued on Friday, urged all people to become women’s empowerment and gender equality agents, particularly those living in the women’s immediate environment.
People in the immediate environment of women comprise their families, friends, co-workers, and the broader society, she said.
If all parties unite their strength to support, share, inspire, and motivate one another, women can achieve advancement through mutual empowerment, she opined.
The government is encouraging the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment through the 2020–2024 Medium-Term National Development Program (RPJMN), she explained.
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Under the 2020–2024 RPJMN, the mainstreaming of sustainable development goals will be inseparable from Indonesia’s development agenda in the future, which includes achieving gender equality and empowerment of women and girls, she informed.
However, various data have shown there is still a gap in women’s participation in terms of accessing, participating, and determining the course of development, the minister noted.
In addition, it is lamentable that a gap still exists when it comes to women receiving the benefits of development, which can be seen from year to year through various data and indices, she said.
The indices include the Human Development Index (IPM), Gender Development Index (IPG), Gender Empowerment Index (IDG), and Child Protection Index.
However, Puspayoga said she is optimistic that this can be resolved. One way is through the Womenpreneurs Indonesia Network (WIN) Academy and Sekuntum Melati Female School.
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The inauguration of the third batch of Sekuntum Melati and WIN Academy is a form of cross-sectoral synergy and collaboration to empower women and produce independent, resilient, and competitive women, she opined.
She said she expects the inauguration to improve the skills and capacity of women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and to prepare for the expansion of women-led businesses and their digitalization.
Source: Antara News