News

The American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI), in collaboration with the National Association of Legal Counselors (PROPENAS), successfully held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) themed “Enhancing the Ecosystem for Women’s MSMEs to Access Business Formalization.” The event took place at the AONE Hotel Wahid Hasyim, Central Jakarta, from September 26 to 27, 2024, and involved various stakeholders, including government agencies and representatives from Women’s Associations across Indonesia.

The purpose of this FGD was to discuss the challenges, obstacles, and opportunities faced by women-owned MSMEs in the process of business formalization. In addition, the discussion served as a strategic forum to generate recommendations related to strengthening the women’s MSME ecosystem in Indonesia.

The FGD opened with a speech by Mrs. Aufrida Herni Novieta, Assistant Deputy for Entrepreneurship at the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs of Indonesia, who discussed the government’s support for the formalization of women-owned MSMEs. The event continued with a discussion session using the World Café method, where participants were divided into small groups to discuss five key issues:

• Optimizing government platforms for business registration.
• The role of stakeholders in the business formalization process.
• Legal protection and regulations for women-owned MSMEs.
• Supporting infrastructure for business formalization.
• Improving access to information, financing, and business facilitation for women-owned MSMEs.

The outcomes of these discussions were summarized into recommendations that will be reflected upon by PROPENAS and ABA ROLI to support the development of women-owned MSMEs. Additionally, an action plan was developed to ensure these recommendations could be implemented effectively.

The event was attended by 29 participants, including representatives from Women’s Associations such as ASPPUK, PPSW, PERSIKONDO, Salimah, Aisyiyah, TDA Perempuan, PPUMI, and others. This collaboration is expected to create a more sustainable ecosystem, empower women, and strengthen the contribution of MSMEs to the national economy.

The FGD concluded with appreciation for the active participation of all attendees. ABA ROLI and PROPENAS reiterated their commitment to continue supporting women-owned MSMEs in overcoming challenges in the business world.