Indonesia Women in Finance (IWF) has once again highlighted the funding access gap that remains a major hurdle for women starting or growing businesses. Yet, strengthening women's roles in entrepreneurship is considered crucial as a catalyst for future national economic growth.
Executive Board Member of CFA Society Indonesia, Melisa Hendrawati, emphasized that women's empowerment is no longer just a gender equality discourse, but a strategic necessity. According to her, the main challenge today lies in providing a supportive ecosystem, ranging from access to capital and technology utilization to mentorship to ensure business sustainability.
A similar view was shared by the Director of Investment and Finance at Dapen Telkom, Siti Rakhmawati. She emphasized that women play a vital role in the MSME sector, which has long been the backbone of the Indonesian economy. However, this great potential is often hindered by limited networks and lack of inclusive access to financing.
As a concrete form of support, IWF hosted a conference featuring a 'Speedy Mentoring' session. In this forum, industry practitioners shared insights on leadership strategies and career development with participants, while introducing the 'Career Jungle' concept—a metaphor for navigating today's increasingly dynamic and complex working world.
Through this initiative, IWF hopes to create a collaborative ecosystem for professional women. This step is expected to encourage more women to take on leadership roles in organizations and build businesses that have a positive impact on the nation's economic progress.
