ARISE+ Indonesia acknowledges the vital role of gender mainstreaming in fostering sustainable and inclusive economic development. With this approach, ARISE+ Indonesia recognises that gender-sensitive economic growth is essential for creating a fair and prosperous society. The programme is committed to integrating gender considerations into its activities to promote gender equality, empower women and contribute to more inclusive and sustainable development outcomes.
As a technical assistance programme that supports the Government of Indonesia in boosting its trade performance and competitiveness, ARISE+ Indonesia works closely with various ministries and agencies. To ensure effective communication and coordination, ARISE+ Indonesia relies on the support of many talented female government officials assigned as liaisons for each Priority Area at the operational level. Their valuable contributions ensure the smooth implementation of the program's activities and promote maximum participation from the Government, including women.
In this article, we feature five exceptional women from diverse backgrounds who have participated in the ARISE+ Indonesia programme. Through their experiences and insights, we explore how ARISE+ Indonesia's gender mainstreaming approach has contributed to promoting gender equality and empowering women in various sectors. By sharing their stories, we hope to inspire and inform others about the importance of inclusive economic development and gender equality in Indonesia.
They are:
Rufita Sri Hasanah (RSH) is a Junior Policy Planner in the Directorate of Macroeconomic Planning and Statistics, Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas. Since joining the ministry in 2014, Rufita has consistently demonstrated her exceptional skills, leadership potential, and unwavering dedication to her work. Her commitment to excellence has earned her the reputation of being a rising star in the organisation at a young age. In recognition of her outstanding work, Rufita was appointed Acting Coordinator of the National and Regional Macro-planning Team in August 2021, following the promotion of her former superior to another ministry. Despite the challenges she faced in assuming this new role, Rufita has proven herself to be a quick learner and a valuable asset to her team. Rufita's helpful, collaborative, and facilitative nature has been instrumental in ensuring the successful implementation of ARISE+ Indonesia activities, ultimately leading to the capacity enhancement of the Indonesian Government and promoting long-term sustainability.
Diana Darmawan (DD) is a Junior Trade Policy Analyst in the Directorate General of International Trade Negotiation (DG ITN), Ministry of Trade. Diana joined the ministry in 2010 to pursue her passion in fields more closely aligned with her academic background in Commercial Administration and English Literature. Diana's strong positivity and optimism, even in the face of challenges, make her an indispensable asset to the team. Working in the Cooperation Department at the DG ITN Secretariat, Diana is responsible for managing cooperation programmes, such as ARISE+ Indonesia. Her passion for serving others, combined with her effective communication skills, makes her an excellent program liaison for ARISE+ Indonesia. She ensures that both parties involved can maximise the benefits of their collaboration. Diana's commitment to excellence and her passion for making a positive impact in her community make her an inspiring role model for aspiring professionals. Diana's ability to work collaboratively with her colleagues and stakeholders is a testament to her exceptional leadership skills.
Duma Maharani Situmorang (DMS) is the Head of the Investigation Sub Committee for Proving Dumping and Subsidy at the Indonesian Anti-Dumping Committee (KADI), Ministry of Trade. She joined KADI in 2009 after she passed her civil servant exam. She now leads a team of seven brilliant minds - four women and three men - who work tirelessly to ensure fair competition and level the playing field for businesses in Indonesia. As a female leader, Duma is passionate about empowering her female colleagues to speak up and share their ideas. She recognises that many women possess intelligence and expertise but lack the confidence to express their opinions, causing them to miss out on opportunities for career growth. With her insightful support and guidance, Duma empowers her team to reach their full potential, delivering significant results in investigating and exposing dumping and subsidy cases.
Friska Sari Ronadiba (FSR) is the Senior Product Quality Assurance in the Directorate of Standardization and Quality Control, Ministry of Trade. She joined the ministry in 2006 and worked in the Directorate General of National Export Development until 2017, before joining her current directorate. Friska had to learn the ropes from scratch in her new role, but she welcomed the challenge with open arms. Her passion for tackling new challenges and overcoming obstacles has been an essential ingredient to her success. Friska supports the Director of Standardization and Quality Control, the ARISE+ Indonesia Technical Advisory Body Coordinator for the Export Quality Infrastructure Component, in managing the cooperation programmes, including ARISE+ Indonesia. With her collaborative and yet rigorous approach, she has built strong relationships with stakeholders and partners and has contributed to making substantial strides in the implementation of ARISE+ Indonesia. Although she never envisioned herself as a civil servant, Friska now finds her work fulfilling and rewarding, knowing that her efforts are meaningfully to the progress of industries.
Marchienda Werdany (MW) is the Deputy Director for Foreign Cooperation at the Directorate of Intellectual Property Cooperation and Empowerment, Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DGIP), Ministry of Law and Human Rights. Marchienda joined the DGIP in 2003 and began her career in the Trademark Directorate. In October 2021, she was promoted to the Deputy Director for Geographical Indication (GI) and occupied that post until December 2022, when she moved to her current position. Marchienda's directorate is the key counterpart for ARISE+ Indonesia, overseeing Priority Area 4 which encompasses the development and promotion of Geographical Indications (GI). Marchienda's dedication to serving others and her supportive nature have made her an invaluable liaison for the ARISE+ Indonesia programme. She ensures the smooth implementation of activities, enabling beneficiaries to reap the maximum benefits and enhance Indonesian Geographical Indications. She is also a strong advocate for gender equality, ensuring that women beneficiaries, many of whom are farmers, are able to take good advantage of the activities.. This underscores her commitment to promoting sustainable and inclusive economic development, where all members of society, including the most marginalised and vulnerable, can participate fully in the economy.
The following is the excerpt from the conversation with the five women professionals.
Q: What is your perspective on gender equality nowadays, especially in government institutions?
MW: I believe that gender equality in Indonesia and government agencies has improved significantly in recent years. Fortunately, I have not experienced any discrimination due to gender since I began working at DGIP. Nearly 50% of employees in strategic and leadership positions in our Directorate General are women, including our new Director General, Mrs Min Usihen.
DMS: I completely agree. These days, opportunities are more fairly distributed based on merit rather than gender. It's great to see more women in leadership positions, like our current chairperson Mrs Donna Gultom. However, as women, we may have personal values and priorities that influence our decision to pursue certain opportunities. It's important to recognise and respect these individual choices while continuing to work towards gender equality and equity in the workforce.
FSR: Nowadays gender equality has improved well, I think it is not an issue anymore in most government institutions. We've had women in director positions in the past, including Mrs Dyah Palupi, Mrs Frida Adiati, Mrs Dewi Chandrini, and others.
RSH: I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve as acting coordinator. Gender equality is not an issue in our ministry, and everyone is judged based on their capacity rather than their gender. At Bappenas, we are proud to have a strong representation of women in leadership positions. Two of our deputies are women, one of whom serves as the Deputy for Economic Affairs (Mrs Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti), which oversees our directorate. Furthermore, the economic deputyship team itself is also highly gender-balanced, with three out of six leaders being women, including the Director of Trade, Investment and International Economic Affairs (Ms PN Laksmi Kusumawati), who also serves as ARISE+ Indonesia Programme Director.
DD: Without doubt. In our Directorate General, we're fortunate to have two women directors, as well as many other women in strategic and leadership positions. It's inspiring to see more women breaking barriers and taking on roles that had traditionally been dominated by men. It's a testimony to our commitment to creating a more equitable and inclusive workplace where everyone, regardless of their gender, can succeed based on their merit and hard work.
Q: What measures do you think can be taken to promote gender equality and ensure that all individuals, regardless of their gender, have equal opportunities to succeed?
DD: I believe that as women, we have the responsibility to support and uplift each other. Rather than competing and bringing each other down, we should work together to create a more empowering environment for all women in the workforce. I've personally found that female leaders at DG ITN are incredibly supportive of their female colleagues and dedicated to helping them progress in their careers. By working together, we can create a more equitable and inclusive society for everyone.
FSR: To promote gender equality, we need to actively encourage and support women's participation in all areas of society, including education, politics, and the workforce. This can involve creating more opportunities for women to gain skills and education, providing financial support for women entrepreneurs, and increasing women's representation in decision-making positions. One of the most important things we can do to promote gender equality is to ensure that there is equal pay for equal work, regardless of gender.
DMS: We need to consistently raise awareness and educate men and women about the importance of gender equality and its benefits to society. This can be done through education, public campaigns, and policy advocacy. We should encourage men to be allies and advocates for gender equality, as they have an important role to play in promoting a more equitable and inclusive society. This can be achieved by challenging gender stereotypes and biases and creating a more gender-equal culture in society. As the saying goes, "Behind every successful man, there is a strong woman," but it's important to remember that the reverse is also true "Behind every successful woman, there is a strong man" who is willing to support and uplift his wife.
MW: We need to have laws and regulations that support not only gender equality but also gender equity. Creating more policies and programs that support work-life balance, such as flexible schedules and parental leave, can help both men and women better manage their personal and professional responsibilities. While laws already recognise maternity leave, it's equally important to provide paternity leave so that husbands can support their wives in caring for their children. This not only prevents postpartum depression in mothers but also promotes the welfare of children. By recognising the importance of both parents in child-rearing, we can create a more equitable and supportive environment for families.
RSH: I think one important measure is to provide equal access to education and training for both men and women. This can help ensure that individuals have the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in their careers. We also need to ensure that women have access to the same opportunities for career advancement and professional development as men. This can involve creating mentorship programs, networking opportunities, and leadership training programs specifically for women. We also need to ensure that workplaces are safe and free from harassment or discrimination and that policies and programs are designed in a way that is inclusive and responsive to the needs of all employees, regardless of gender.
Q: In your opinion, how does the ARISE+ Indonesia program promote gender equality and support women's full participation in its activities?
FSR: From my experience, I have observed that ARISE+ Indonesia has taken proactive measures to provide equal opportunities for men and women to participate in every programme activity as participants, experts, and trainers. During training, both genders have been given an equal chance to express their opinions, make presentations, and take on other roles. However, it is important to acknowledge that there are still some fields where women are underrepresented, which is not a result of any gender bias within the programme but rather due to a smaller pool of women involved in those fields. Nonetheless, ARISE+ Indonesia continues to actively promote and support the participation of women in all its activities, and I believe that this commitment to gender equality will lead to a more balanced representation of women in all fields in the future.
MW: I agree with Friska that ARISE+ Indonesia has made efforts to encourage more women to participate in the program. However, in Priority Area 4, which focuses on Geographical Indication (GI) activities, the program has been working closely with GI agri-foods, where male farmers are dominant compared to female farmers. While ARISE+ Indonesia has been promoting the participation of more women, we still face challenges in getting women to participate, especially those living in rural areas who may have family obligations. It can be difficult for them to join activities outside the city, particularly for an extended period of time. We need to continue our efforts to find ways to overcome these challenges and ensure that women have equal opportunities to participate and benefit from the program.
DD: I fully concur. ARISE+ Indonesia has been proactively promoting the involvement of women in workshops and training sessions to ensure they can reap the full benefits from every activity.
RSH: We actively encourage our female colleagues to participate in ARISE+ Indonesia activities. We are proud to have a significant representation of women who are fully engaged in our activities.
DMS: As ARISE+ Indonesia's TAB Coordinator for Trade Remedy, the Directorate of Trade Defense strongly advocates for women's participation in all our training activities. At KADI, we are proud to have a significant representation of women participating in all our activities.
Q: How has the ARISE+ Indonesia capacity-building program contributed to your personal and professional growth, and in what ways do you see it helping to increase leadership and decision-making opportunities for women?
MW: Through my involvement in ARISE+ Indonesia's training activities, I gained valuable insights that have been instrumental in my work. With my new current role, I am taking on new challenges that require me to learn and master various topics, including negotiations, diplomacy, legal procedures, language proficiency, communication, and social skills. As an introvert, these challenges have pushed me beyond my comfort zone, enabling me to grow both personally and professionally. Managing ARISE+ Indonesia has allowed me to learn about international cooperation, diplomacy, project management, and many other areas. I am grateful to ARISE+ Indonesia for providing opportunities to enhance my skills and contribute to my personal development.
RSH: Upon return from my study leave, I began to actively participate in ARISE+ Indonesia activities in 2020. However, my involvement took on a new level of responsibility when my superior received a promotion to another ministry, and I was appointed acting Coordinator. Admittedly, this presented a significant challenge and an immense responsibility to undertake. However, I recognised that the trust placed in me was a recognition of my capabilities. With a change in mindset, I viewed this as an opportunity for personal and professional growth and embraced it enthusiastically. As a reserved person like Mrs Marchienda, representing the Director and dealing with senior individuals at events can be intimidating.
However, I am grateful for the opportunities provided by ARISE+ Indonesia, which enabled me to increase my knowledge in economic modelling and policy brief development and enhance my skills, including presentation, public speaking, event management and many more. I am thankful for the chance to grow and develop professionally through ARISE+ Indonesia's training activities. These experiences have enabled me to step outside of my comfort zone andallowed me to embrace new challenges and develop confidence to tackle them head-on. I am proud to have been a part of such a valuable and engaging capacity-building program, and I look forward to continued growth and learning.
DD: Through my participation in workshops and training programs facilitated by ARISE+ Indonesia, I gained valuable knowledge and skills. For instance, my understanding of international trade negotiations and agreements has significantly improved, and the training has also provided me with valuable support for my work. In my opinion, the training opportunities offered by ARISE+ Indonesia have been crucial in improving my professional and personal capacities, and I am grateful for the chance to learn and develop new skills.
DMS: In my opinion, the capacity-building programme facilitated by ARISE+ Indonesia has been incredibly beneficial for both our institution and my personal growth. For instance, in 2022, we participated in Training of Trainers (ToT) with support from ARISE+ Indonesia, which aimed to equip us with the skills to conduct in-house training for new investigators in the future. While we had already mastered the knowledge of anti-dumping, safeguards, subsidies, and other areas, the ToT program helped us develop new skills in presentation and training delivery, which proved to be very useful.
ARISE+ Indonesia also provided comprehensive training on various topics such as anti-dumping, subsidies, safeguards, circumvention, and many others, which helped us update our knowledge. As these regulations are constantly evolving at the international level and WTO, it was essential to stay up-to-date. As a result of the training, we were able to develop technical rules for anti-subsidy investigation regulations, which we previously did not have. Currently, it is at the harmonisation stage with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, and once completed, we will be able to initiate an anti-subsidy investigation. This is a remarkable achievement for us. I am grateful to ARISE+ Indonesia for providing us with the tools and resources to succeed and helping us achieve such a significant milestone in our work.
FSR: Participating in activities with ARISE+ Indonesia, including training, benchmarking and other events, has been immensely beneficial in enhancing my knowledge and skills. Ever since I was assigned to the international standardisation institutional and quality infrastructure section in 2021, I have had to learn about a wide range of new topics related to standard, technical regulation, and conformity assessment. Thanks to the capacity building program provided by ARISE+ Indonesia, I feel more confident in carrying out my duties as my skills and knowledge have improved.
Q: Based on your experience, what recommendations would you give to the EU and similar development cooperation programs on how they can improve their role in facilitating full participation and leadership opportunities for women in this sector?
FSR: As I mentioned earlier, It is imperative that ARISE+ Indonesia or other EU-funded programmes expand the pool of female experts and trainers in the future. I believe that there are numerous highly talented women with exceptional capabilities in the European Union, and it would be valuable to tap into this resource.
In terms of event formats, I strongly recommend hosting public talk shows occasionally, where female speakers can discuss standards and quality assurance. This approach serves a dual purpose. Firstly, it helps to promote the issue to a wider audience, attracting greater attention to the topic. Secondly, it showcases the expertise of women in their respective fields, demonstrating the vital role that they play in various industries. By providing a platform for female experts and trainers to share their knowledge and experiences, we can inspire future generations of women to pursue careers in traditionally male-dominated fields, ultimately leading to greater gender balance and diversity in the workforce.
RSH: The EU and similar development cooperation programs could provide more opportunities and prioritise the recruitment and retention of women in leadership positions. This can be achieved by creating a more inclusive work environment that provides equal opportunities for both men and women. Additionally, the EU should provide support for women's professional development, including training programs and mentorship opportunities. Such initiatives would help women to acquire new skills and gain the confidence they need to succeed in leadership roles.
DMS: In the future, it would be beneficial to develop a comprehensive capacity-building program that focuses on strengthening policies aimed at achieving inclusive trade and ensuring women's participation in sustainable economic development. This policy should not only aim to provide equal opportunities to women but also address barriers that hinder their ability to achieve equal outcomes based on gender. This could include providing additional resources or support to help women entrepreneurs overcome challenges related to access to finance, training, and networking opportunities. By promoting gender-sensitive policies and addressing the specific needs of women in trade, we can create more equitable and sustainable trade systems that benefit all stakeholders.
DD: The substance and material of the training are already satisfactory, meeting the required capacity needs and topic objectives. However, I believe that out-of-town training for women should be kept reasonably brief so that we don't have to be away from home for extended periods. This can be achieved by condensing the material and making the most efficient use of our time during the training.
MW: I fully agree with Ms Diana, especially when it comes to activities that involve women from regions outside Jakarta or even rural areas. As I mentioned before, these women may have family obligations that could make it challenging for them to participate. We need to find ways to address these challenges to ensure that equal opportunities are provided, not just in terms of access but also in terms of fairness, by offering the necessary support to enable greater participation from women.
I also agree with Ms Duma. It is important to acknowledge the significant role that MSMEs play in trade, especially given that almost 90% of MSME players are women. In order to promote gender equality in this sector, I recommend that future training programs should focus on women-owned MSMEs, particularly those that face challenges accessing technical and financial assistance.
Moreover, in the context of Geographical Indications (GI) local associations (MPIG), we could encourage MPIGs to ensure that women are adequately represented in their institutions. This would help to promote gender equality and enable women to participate more actively in decision-making processes. Ultimately, empowering women in MSMEs and MPIGs would promote economic growth, create more job opportunities, and contribute to building a more inclusive and sustainable society.