Sustainable Business Development Needs Women's Participation: Minister

Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Bintang Puspayoga. (ANTARA/ HO-Kemen PPPA)

Jakarta - Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Bintang Puspayoga encourages sustainable business development with a gender perspective and involves the participation of women.

"There will be no sustainable development without equal participation of women and men," Minister Puspayoga noted in a statement here, Wednesday.

According to Puspayoga, this effort aims to achieve the 5th Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically attaining gender equality and empowering women, especially in the business world.

She said Indonesia has a population of over 270 million people and is the fourth most populous country in the world.

"Almost half of our population is women and about 70 percent of the population is of the working age. Moreover, half of our MSMEs are also owned and run by women," she stated.

Based on this figure, Puspayoga is optimistic that women's empowerment would have a major impact on the nation, especially in achieving the SDGs.

The ministry also encourages the participation of business actors, both individuals and companies, to create businesses with a gender perspective.

"I hope all participants of the B20 Sustainability 4.0 Awards can see through the lens of gender in implementing programs and creating innovations," the minister noted.

The B20 Sustainability 4.0 Awards are bestowed on businesses and individuals, who create innovations in improving inclusive sustainability practices through three pillars.

The three pillars of the sustainable development goals comprise access to clean water (SDGs 6), reduction and reuse of plastics (SDGs 12), and women in sustainability (SDGs 5).

The development of women-run micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), including those producing sharia fashion, will help advance the national economy, Governor of Bank Indonesia (BI) Perry Warjiyo earlier noted.

"Advancing MSMEs will not only help women to support their families but also create future leaders for Indonesia and advance the national economy," he remarked at the opening of the Indonesia International Modest Fashion Festival (IN2MOTIONFEST) here on Thursday.

As many as two-thirds of Indonesia's MSMEs are being managed by women, who are also handling and tending to their children, so they need to be supported to become leaders of the nation, he noted.

Pewarta : Azis Kurmala/Antara

Editor : Yakop