The Subsistence Group-Based Inclusive Economic and Financial (EKI) Development Program initiated by Bank Indonesia aims to promote the economic empowerment of low-income communities through a groupbased approach. In various regions, the program has become a strategic channel for enhancing financial literacy, business capacity, and access to formal financial services. However, to make its impact more equitable and sustainable, the program's approach needs to consider the diversity of needs and the gender roles in local social and economic structures.
This research is motivated by the finding from various studies that states that women, particularly icroentrepreneurs in subsistence groups, still face structural barriers in accessing training, financing, asset ownership, and decision making in financial and business matters. These barriers should be understood more deeply through the lens of social construction and gender relations, which influence the unequal distribution of resources between women and men, thereby limiting women's roles in groups and communities. Previous studies indicate that when women gain equal access to training, capital, and business networks, there is a significant improvement in their economic capacity and a spillover effect on family and community well-being.
Through this study, Bank Indonesia and Women's World Banking (WWB) aim to examine in depth the extent to which the Subsistence Group-Based Inclusive Economic and Financial (EKI) Development Program has accommodated the specific needs of women, and to formulate evidence-based recommendations for strengthening a gender-responsive approach in replicating inclusive economic and financial development programs in subsistence groups across various Domestic Representative Offices (KPwDN). The particular focus is given to subsistence groups due to their vulnerable characteristics, yet they have transformative potential when supported by more inclusive intervention designs.
By strengthening the evidence-based framework, this report is expected to provide a strategic contribution to the formulation of policies and the design of more effective, equitable, and sustainable economic empowerment programs.
