Women must have equal access to training, jobs: Manpower Ministry

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Women must have equal access to skill development, training, formal employment, and entrepreneurship, Deputy Manpower Minister Afriansyah Noor said.

“Women must have equal opportunities to obtain training, access decent work, develop businesses, and improve their welfare,” Noor said in a statement here on Monday.

According to him, this needs to be encouraged by improving women’s quality and competence so they can contribute more widely to national development and the economy.

He also assessed that women have a strategic role and are one of the economic drivers.

The contribution is seen in various sectors, from micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the creative industry, and family businesses to various professions.

Noor added that skill or competency improvement must continue so women have broader opportunities, both to work and to develop businesses.

In line with this, the Manpower Ministry has run vocational training programs that equip people with skills matching labor market needs and industry developments.

“These skills can be used to enter the workforce or develop businesses,” he stated.

He expressed hope that women’s empowerment communities can take part in empowering women socially and economically, while preserving customs and culture.

In his view, this role can be realized through skills development, stronger entrepreneurship, wider business networks, and promotion of the community’s leading products.

“The government cannot work alone. Support from all elements of society is needed so women’s empowerment programs can run more widely and have real impact,” Noor said.

In September, the Indonesian government inked the Joint Ministerial Decree on Indonesia Shared Spaces (RBI), a move aimed at strengthening women's empowerment and child protection across regions.

Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Arifah Fauzi noted that RBI serves as a movement and collaborative platform designed to integrate existing programs, potential, resources, services, and key actors.

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Translator: Arnidhya, Kenzu
Editor: Primayanti
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