Indonesian policymakers map policy ecosystem for women in trade

(Geneva/Jakarta) – Indonesian women in business are set to benefit from a more supportive policy environment with the validation of a key policy tool, the International Trade Centre’s SheTrades Outlook, as part of a workshop organized by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Trade Policy Agency of the Ministry of Trade, with support from the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

The workshop on 7 August at the Hotel Borobudur in Jakarta follows a gender mainstreaming training on the previous day.

SheTrades Outlook, which was rolled out across the country in January this year, maps the policy environment for women in business and trade. Data was collected from 23 public and private sector institutions, including government agencies, trade and business support organizations and business associations.

Findings show that Indonesia performed well in facilitating women’s access to skills and finance, fostering inclusive business environments, and establishing a conducive legal and regulatory framework. The assessment identified areas where greater efforts would be beneficial to women in trade. Action points include, among others: including women’s business associations in consultation processes, incorporating gender provisions in trade agreements, adopting an internationally recognized definition of a women-owned business, collecting gender-disaggregated data on exporting firms and promoting women’s participation in public procurement through inclusive practices and a preferential scheme. More details can be found in a policy brief available on the SheTrades Outlook platform.

‘SheTrades Outlook provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities for women in international trade. Indonesia can effectively make use of these findings to shape trade and trade-related policies,’ said Kasan Muhri, Head of Trade Policy Agency of the Ministry of Trade. He went on, ‘By effectively utilizing the insights from SheTrades Outlook, Indonesia can create a more inclusive and equitable trade ecosystem that empowers women to contribute fully to the country's economic growth.'

‘For decades, ASEAN and its member states have shown what women’s economic empowerment can look like,’ said Dorothy Tembo, ITC Deputy Executive Director. ‘It’s a community whose individual members have crafted exciting approaches to mainstreaming gender in trade policy and practice – like the training programmes that Indonesia’s government has delivered to position women-led businesses for success in the digital economy.’

Building on the progress made, policymakers and members of women’s business associations developed a set of priorities for policy reform.

ITC Deputy Executive Director Tembo added: ‘We stand ready to support these efforts every step of the way, whether through technical assistance, capacity building for policymakers or multistakeholder consultations across the ASEAN region. We are keen to collaborate on advancing the national and regional agenda on trade and gender.’

 

About the International Trade Centre – The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

For more information, visit www.intracen.org.

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About the Trade Policy Agency of the Ministry of Trade – The Trade Policy Agency (TPA) of the Ministry of Trade Republic of Indonesia is an Echelon 1 under the Minister of Trade that conducts analysis and provides policy recommendations in the trade area in accordance with the provisions of laws and regulations. TPA has a strategic role in formulating trade policies to ensure that the policies issued by the Ministry of Trade benefit all stakeholders. 

For more information, visit bkperdag.kemendag.go.id. 

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About ITC SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme – Financed by the UK Government and launched in April 2018, the ITC SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme aims to foster an enabling gender-inclusive business ecosystem by promoting inclusive policy and data and engaging business support organizations, private-sector partners, and women-led businesses in the Commonwealth+ countries.

 

Media Contacts

Susanna Pak
Senior Strategic Communications Officer
International Trade Centre
E: pak [at] intracen.org
T: +41 22 730 0651

Primakrisna Trisnoputri 
Public Relation Officer 
Trade Policy Agency 
E: kontak.bkperdag [at] kemendag.go.id (kontak[dot]bkperdag[at]kemendag[dot]go[dot]id) 
WA: +6281298765196