By: Rahmat Hidayat )*
In the era of digital economic transformation and sustainable development, the role of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) managed by women is becoming increasingly strategic. The government through the Daya Anagata Nusantara Investment Management Agency (Danantara) has shown a strong commitment to encouraging the growth of women’s MSMEs through inclusive and sustainable funding schemes. This approach not only reflects a bias towards the grassroots economic sector, but is also part of the national strategy in encouraging gender equality, family economic empowerment, and strengthening community social resilience.
Danantara understands that women MSME actors have great potential that has often been hampered by limited access to financing, training, and market networks. Through the inclusive funding program, Danantara is here to bridge this gap in a fair, transparent, and sustainability-oriented manner. This funding is not only in the form of soft financing, but also includes business mentoring programs, financial literacy, and access to digital technology that can increase the efficiency and competitiveness of women’s MSME products in local and global markets.
Minister of SMEs, Maman Abdurrahman said that women play a very important role in the progress of the SME sector. Currently, as many as 64.5 percent of the total SMEs in Indonesia are managed by women. This is not a small number, this is a real economic strength, and we should give applause to Indonesian women.
Then Danantara’s support for women’s SMEs is in line with the goals of sustainable development. In practice, this program opens up wide participation space for women, including in underdeveloped and remote areas of the archipelago. By prioritizing a community-based approach and listening directly to the needs of women entrepreneurs, Danantara ensures that every intervention given truly answers the challenges they face in the field, from capital, product packaging, to digital marketing.
In addition, the existence of Danantara also has a significant psychosocial impact. Women entrepreneurs who previously felt marginalized now have higher self-confidence, are able to be economically independent, and contribute directly to improving family welfare. Not a few of them later became agents of change in their communities, inspiring other women to participate in building businesses and taking an active role in the village economy.
The inclusive funding initiated by Danantara is also supported by strategic collaboration with various stakeholders, ranging from financial institutions, local governments, to civil society organizations. This synergy ensures that the ecosystem created not only supports the growth of MSMEs in the short term, but also strengthens the foundation of the people’s economy in the long term. In this context, Danantara does not merely act as an investor, but also a facilitator and driver of gender-based socio-economic transformation.
Danantara’s steps should be appreciated as a form of innovation in inclusive and transformative public investment policies. This funding scheme not only supports national economic recovery after the pandemic, but also strengthens Indonesia’s position on the global economic map as a country that is serious about developing community-based economic potential. By continuing to expand the reach of the program and perfecting a responsive approach to the needs of women MSME actors, Danantara is expected to be able to produce more inspiring success stories.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, Arifah Fauzi, said that women’s economic empowerment is a strategic step to reduce gender-based violence in Indonesia. Violence against women cannot be resolved by one ministry alone. This is a cross-sectoral problem. Therefore, synergy with the Ministry of MSMEs is very important. If women are economically strong, empowered and independent, then households will be much safer and more prosperous.
In the future, it is important for all elements of the nation to support and strengthen these positive steps. The central and regional governments can accelerate the integration of inclusive funding programs with regional policies, while the private sector and banking can expand their participation in microfinance that supports women. The media and academics also have an important role in highlighting the inspiring stories of women’s MSMEs and providing input for improving policies.
Danantara’s efforts in spurring the progress of women’s MSMEs through inclusive funding are not only about economic growth figures, but also about building a more just civilization, balanced, and competitive. By empowering women as the main actors in the local economy, Indonesia not only grows the economy from the grassroots, but also instills the values of independence, equality, and sustainability that are the foundation for a more inclusive future for the nation.
Through this grand vision, Danantara proves that state investment policies can be a powerful empowerment tool when designed with heart, executed with empathy, and directed to create real change at the grassroots. When women’s MSMEs grow and are empowered, Indonesia moves more surely towards an inclusive, just, and prosperous future.
)* The author is an Economic observer
