THE EDITOR – Women’s empowerment is the main focus of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs’ work programme this year in order to increase the capacity of rural human resources.
This was confirmed by the Ministry’s Deputy Assistant for Regional Empowerment and Spatial Mobility, Monalisa Herawati Rumayar, at Le Meridien Hotel Jakarta, on 13-15 November 2024.
She said that one of the strategies the government will use to implement this programme is to collect information related to policies on women’s empowerment.
“We will collect information related to women’s empowerment policies or programmes, challenges and implementation strategies, the role of regional and village governments, and collaboration between the government and non-governmental organizations. All of this is very important to support women’s empowerment at the village level,” she explained.
This women’s empowerment, she continued, is part of the Strengthening Village Governance and Development Programme (P3PD) that the government is working on with the World Bank.
The Ministry is currently collecting data in eight districts, namely Central Bangka, Tanggamus, Indramayu, Bantul, Banyuwangi, Banjar, Maros, and North Minahasa.
“Hopefully the results of this data collection can provide important input, both for Component 1 of P3PD at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Component 2 at the Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Component 3 involving the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs and the Ministry of National Development Planning,” she said.
AIMING FOR SELF-RELIANT VILLAGES THROUGH P3PD PROGRAMME
To create self-reliant villages, the Indonesian government is currently working with the World Bank on the Strengthening Village Governance and Development Programme (P3PD).
There are five ministries mandated to run this programme, namely the Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions, Ministry of Home Affairs, Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of National Development Planning. This programme is to make quality village expenditure in accordance with community competencies.
On one hand, P3PD training is held to educate village officials to be more innovative and creative in making policies related to their villages.
On the other hand, the community is also considered to be more participatory in encouraging the development of their residence.
The capacity building training for village officials is conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs through the Directorate General of Village Government Development.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Villages and Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration targets to increase community capacity through village and local village facilitators.
As a model of this, village field schools, digital villages, and digital ambassadors in villages are prepared.
