By: Alfred Jigibalom )*
West Papua was chosen as the Side Host Event for Women of Twenty (W20.) The series of events of the Group of Twenty (G20) Summit are believed to improve the local economy.
Chairwoman W20 Hadriani Silalahi said, the location of the event in West Papua also aims to promote the charm of natural beauty and show that the land of Papua is a safe and peaceful area.
This promotion will of course have an impact on improving the economy of the Papuan people. Through W20, Papua has the opportunity to show the world that Papua is worth a visit.
The G20 Side Events are expected to be able to move the regional economy, especially in introducing the advantages of Indonesian local products. Moreover, West Papua Province is known for its stunning natural beauty, such as valleys, lakes and beaches.
Through this event, Papua can promote its local tourism, such as in the Raja Ampat Islands, which are one of the best diving spots in the world. In addition, there is also Sawinggrai Village which is one of the Raja Ampat districts. The attraction of this village is the birds of paradise, because when you visit the village, your eyes will be able to see the birds of paradise in the wild. In addition, this village also has an underwater view that is no less amazing.
In addition, West Papua is also famous for its beautiful beads, the beads are wrapped around the body for the benefit of traditional ceremonies. The people of West Papua produce various handicrafts that can be souvenirs for travelers after visiting. These handicrafts are not only produced for sale, but also as an effort to preserve the culture of West Papua. The arrival of delegates from various countries to Papua, of course, will create a circulation of money in Papua. The delegates who came to the W20 event, of course, would be looking for souvenirs to bring back to their country.
Previously, the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said that the economic growth of the province of West Papua in the second quarter of 2021 was -2.39 percent, meaning far below the national 7.07 percent. He said that the province of West Papua is still dominated by the service and trade sectors, so that it is the concern of the local government to continue to encourage economic improvement. For this reason, the opportunity for the W20 Side Event Host in West Papua is a momentum for West Papua to revive the sluggish economic sector. Promotion of tourism and local products in Papua needs to be intensified again in order to improve the economy of the West Papuan people, which previously had slumped in the second quarter of 2021.
On the W20 side host event, there were 5 first ladies who were the speakers, namely from Mexico, Germany, India and Japan. A number of topics for this year’s W20 will be discussed, among others, regarding Woman Disability and rural areas inclusion. In addition to these speakers, a number of guests will also be present, namely representatives from W20 and pacific countries.
To overcome this so that women can maximize their potential, W20 can follow the example of Indonesia, when some of the Papua special autonomy funds were channeled as capital loans for mothers in Papua. They can trade in the market and have high power, because they struggle to help their husbands in earning a living.
Business is one way for women to get ahead, that’s why the W20 meeting also talked about international trade. It is hoped that the first lady will be interested in Papuan produce such as coffee and sago and admire the beauty of noken. They can be a golden bridge to the export market. The presence of women in the W20 forum is certainly not mere companions, but they are also keynote speakers and talk about important things such as woman disability. Women can be more advanced if given the opportunity and men should not feel inferior because emancipation has existed since time immemorial.
This agenda is expected to be an inspiration for West Papuan mothers to be more productive and be more advanced, so that income and family welfare will increase. The W20 Side Host Event held in West Papua, of course, must be put to good use, so that the event is not only a ceremonial event, but also as an effort to improve the economy of the people in West Papua.
)* The author is a Papuan student living in Gorontalo
