Women’s economic empowerment is an important concern in the context of sustainable development in various countries. Based on data from the Women, Business and the Law 2021 report published by the World Bank in 2021, it was recorded that 60% of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia are owned by women. This shows that women have an important role in making a major contribution to the national economy.
Maximizing this potential, the Sharia Economic Community (MES) through the Halal Business Development Institution Autonomous Agency (LPUH) in collaboration with PT Bio Farma (Persero) held Women’s Economic Empowerment Training on Tuesday (9/7) at the Hall of the FEB Management Masters Building, Padjadjaran University , Bandung.
The training with the theme “Creating Environmentally Friendly Creative MSMEs” aims to increase women’s economic capacity through the sustainable development of creative MSMEs. This one-day training involved resource persons from the MES Regional Management and other professional partners.
Chair of the Integrated Microfinance Management Master’s Study Program FEB Unpad, Asep Mulyana, representing the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business, Padjadjaran University, expressed his gratitude for the training collaboration between LPUH MES, PT Bio Farma (Persero), MES West Java, and FEB Padjadjaran University which was supported by Smeshub Indonesia and Sevenpreneur in women’s economic empowerment.
“It is hoped that this good collaboration will bring great benefits to MSME players, especially women who have extraordinary potential in developing the economy,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Manager of Environmental Responsibility & Partnerships at PT Bio Farma (Persero), Retno Wingit, said that this training was an ongoing collaboration that had entered its second year with MES. Last year it was held in Sumedang and Tasikmalaya Regencies.
“The hope is that the participants can provide benefits that support businesses, so they can improve environmentally friendly MSMEs,” he said.
At the same time, the General Chairperson of the West Java MES Regional Management, Harry Maksum, was happy with the implementation of women’s economic empowerment training.
“This activity is an MES initiative to improve the quality of MSMEs, especially those managed by women. “We support MSMEs so they can move up in class, including creating quality, creative and environmentally friendly MSMEs,” he said.
He also emphasized that MES is committed to developing women’s economic empowerment. This is based on the position of women who have a strategic role in economic development according to the 2021 Women, Business and the Law report.
After the speech, the training continued with the delivery of material by various speakers. The material presented in this training includes; waste management to create business opportunities, production processes, design; marketing products by paying attention to environmental aspects; as well as products: environmentally friendly creative MSMEs.
It is hoped that this training will be able to increase women’s innovation and creativity to create new products and/or strengthen the production capacity of environmentally friendly community economies.
(Rida Nurfarida Rahmat)
