Skillful and Strong: How Prakerja is Empowering Women Futures

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Like millions of women, Nurul Hestiningtyas,  a mother of two in Bantul Yogyakarta, was looking for a way to earn some extra money when she applied to the Kartu Prakerja Program.

“At the age of 27, as a housewife, having two kids didn’t stop me from continuing to [want to] learn,” she said.

Through the Kartu Prakerja Program platform, she learned how to take product photos. With the Rp600,000 (est US$40) monthly funds that she received after successfully completing the course, she was able to start a product photography business. She now has regular clients, as well as income as an Instagram content creator.

“From there I earned income. From these activities, thank God, it really helped my daily life. When the pandemic happened, even more clients and products started coming in,” she said.

Situations like Nurul’s are not uncommon in Indonesia. Labor participation for Indonesian women is only 54.4 percent compared to 83.9 percent for men, and is also lower compared to World Bank statistics for women’s labor participation in the East Asia and Pacific region of 67.7 percent.

One major factor is the expectation for women to stay home to care for children and other family members. In the absence of alternative caregiving frameworks, such social expectations have posed a significant barrier for women’s empowerment. Even now, it is not uncommon for families to prioritize sons’ education over daughters’, saying the latter will eventually marry and give up any career that they have.

Leading Indonesian economist Vivi Alatas also pointed out that women face multiple challenges in the workplace, such as sub-par wages compared to men. “Women’s wages are 30% lower than that of men, this makes women not want to compete,” she said during a public discussion of Prakerja and Indonesian Women (Prakerja dan Perempuan Indonesia) held in Jakarta on September 13, 2023.

Upskilling around socio-economic constraints

Over the past three years, the Kartu Prakerja Program has shown that by making training and upskilling accessible to women in their own homes, it is possible to surmont traditional expectations and constraints that keep women at home and away from such opportunities.

Of more than 17 million Prakerja beneficiaries, 51 percent are female, showing that there is a significant appetite from Indonesian women for opportunities to learn and earn. Moreover, participants come from many different locations, showing that the demand is universal.

Head of Programmes at UN Women Indonesia, Dwi Yuliawati Faiz, observed,  “Prakerja is a disruption that has opened up access for women, especially as participants can choose in accordance with their preferences and needs.”

Additionally, a number of participants subsequently re-enroll in other modules, suggesting that they find the training beneficial.

Real results, real income

After taking five months of Prakerja classes, in November 2020 housewife Oktifiana Resti (30) worked up enough courage to start baking and selling brownies in the pandemic to supplement her family income after her husband lost his hotel job. Not long after, according to Resti, she and her husband were able to make some Rp2,000,000 (est US$150) in profit monthly from the business. 

Today, she sells baked goods on multiple digital platforms including Gofood, Tokopedia, Grab and Shopee. During the holidays, such as Christmas and Eid, her revenue can go up threefold.

Besides enabling female entrepreneurs, Prakerja classes have also helped wage-earning women. Kartu Prakerja Program Executive Director Denni Puspa Purbasari noted that 22 percent of female participants successfully found work after enrolling in Prakerja. In addition, a study by PRESISI in 2021 found that enrollment in Prakerja increased the earnings of wage-earning women by 33% relative to non wage-earning women. 

Such income increases afford women and their families a measure of economic empowerment and freedom, as well as building respect for these women’s choices and ability to earn. In the future, we anticipate that these achievements will gradually accumulate and lead to a subtle yet enduring shift in societal attitudes regarding women’s employment and active participation in the workforce.

Making inroads into male-dominated & future-forward industries

Under the leadership of the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, the Prakerja platform has continually evolved, expanding its range of opportunities through partnerships with private industry. This includes training programs designed to provide women access to traditionally male-dominated fields and emerging sectors.

For instance, in collaboration with Hino, Prakerja has introduced a course on Bus and Truck Driving. Additionally, a course offered by United Tractors focuses on Bulldozer and Excavator Maintenance.

Furthermore, Prakerja has joined forces with Microsoft to provide online AI training, certified by Microsoft itself. The platform has also ventured into the realm of green skills training, offering courses such as Modification of Gas-Powered Engines to Electric Vehicles and Sustainability Reporting for which demand is rising.

Accelerating momentum, foundation for the future

As we continue to see women excel in diverse fields, from entrepreneurship to wage-earning roles, the narrative is shifting. Prakerja has not only empowered women economically but is also shaping the perception of women’s capabilities and choices. The journey towards gender equality and a more inclusive workforce may be gradual, but these achievements are laying the foundation for a future where women’s contributions are valued and respected– a foundation constructed, one success story at a time, by each of these remarkable women.