LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR YOUTH AND FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Female entrepreneurs often face self-doubt, anxiety and uncertainty as they adapt to new environments, navigating the unfamiliar territory of online businesses.
Author: Ari Margiono
Antara/Abdan Syakura
President Prabowo Subianto emphasized in his inauguration speech on Sunday that despite Indonesia’s status as a Group of 20 member, poverty remained widespread in the country. He identified the lack of decent employment as a key factor contributing to the level of poverty in Indonesia.
Along with other important economic factors, youth and female entrepreneurship play a crucial role in driving Indonesia’s economic growth, as they form the backbone of future employment.
Unfortunately, the recent United Nations World Youth Report highlights that the global NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) rate among young people remains concerning, signaling that the traditional “business-as-usual” approach to entrepreneurship and employment is still insufficient for the level of job creation that many had hoped for.
The introduction of new technologies may offer promising solutions. In this context, the newly rebranded Communications and Digital Ministry, along with other ministries, under President Prabowo’s administration can play a key role in promoting digital youth and female entrepreneurship.
For example, social media has enabled companies like Amartha.com in Indonesia to provide a peer-to-peer lending platform, helping rural women secure funding to launch and grow their local businesses. Platform technologies have enhanced youth and female entrepreneurs’ access to funding, and promoting similar initiatives may help remove barriers they face in starting and expanding their ventures.
Yet technology also poses challenges for youth and female entrepreneurship.
One of the primary challenges lies in the transition from traditional to digital entrepreneurship. While this shift presents significant opportunities, particularly for women and young people, it also introduces new difficulties.
On the positive side, digital ventures provide flexibility by enabling entrepreneurs to work remotely and reduce the need for a physical presence, which is especially beneficial for those balancing caregiving responsibilities.
However, the transition to a digital business model can be emotionally and mentally demanding. Female entrepreneurs often face self-doubt, anxiety and uncertainty as they adapt to these new environments, navigating the unfamiliar territory of online businesses.
Access to digital markets and resources is another critical issue. Digital technologies open doors to global markets, allowing entrepreneurs to expand their businesses with lower operational costs.
However, taking advantage of these opportunities requires specific technical skills, knowledge and financial resources, which are not always accessible for young people and, especially, female entrepreneurs. Bridging this skills gap through targeted training and mentorship programs will be essential for empowering youth and female entrepreneurs to succeed in the digital economy and compete effectively on a global scale.
Despite the promise of digital entrepreneurship, social and institutional barriers continue to hinder the participation of women and young entrepreneurs. In some contexts, digital technologies allow female entrepreneurs to work remotely or anonymously, helping them bypass traditional gender biases.
However, these biases persist in online spaces, especially in male-dominated industries. As a result, female entrepreneurs often feel compelled to adopt masculine traits to gain legitimacy and be recognized within their field, further complicating their entrepreneurial journey.
Education and exposure to successful role models also play a critical role in fostering entrepreneurial ambition among women and youth. When female entrepreneurs see others like them succeed, it boosts their confidence and encourages them to pursue their ventures.
Unfortunately, the scarcity of visible female role models in digital entrepreneurship limits these motivational effects. Structured programs that connect emerging entrepreneurs with mentors and showcase success stories are vital for addressing this gap.
We recently conducted research, in collaboration with the Institute for Social Innovation and Impact (ISII) at the University of Northampton in the United Kingdom, funded by the British Council’s Gender Equality Partnership program. This research highlights the role of technology in helping youth and female entrepreneurs navigate challenges in their businesses.
Here is the story of Rita (not her real name), one of the respondents we interviewed in the research.
Rita is a housewife and a successful owner-manager of a tutoring school. She is an alumnus of a university affiliated with a well-known Islamic boarding school in East Java province. She began her tutoring business while still at university, offering math and science lessons to high school students. She enjoyed the independence that came with running her own business and appreciated the freedom to make decisions on her own terms.
Fortunately, she married a supportive husband who told her, “As long as you stay at home, raise the children and handle your caregiving duties, it’s all right.” This expectation motivated Rita to utilize social media technologies to coordinate with her tutors while staying at home. Through persistence and creativity, Rita expanded her business and now manages several tutoring centers in nearby towns, all from the comfort of her home.
Rita’s story illustrates how technology empowers female entrepreneurs to balance their entrepreneurial endeavors with caregiving roles. Digital tools offer opportunities for youth and women to overcome physical, cultural and social barriers, creating new pathways to entrepreneurship and employment.
With the aid of technology, female entrepreneurs are redefining traditional public and private boundaries, demonstrating that success is achievable even within constrained environments.
Thus, to support youth and female entrepreneurship in the digital economy and to foster decent and high-quality employment, the government plays a crucial role in creating an enabling environment.
Policymakers should provide support tailored for small businesses and start-ups led by women and young entrepreneurs. Reducing bureaucratic hurdles can encourage more youth and women to venture into entrepreneurship.
Additionally, governments need to collaborate with financial institutions to provide accessible loan schemes and micro-financing programs, empowering entrepreneurs to secure capital and manage resources effectively.
The private sector can complement these efforts by providing mentorship programs that connect experienced entrepreneurs with emerging business owners. Companies should foster diversity and inclusion by supporting women-led and youth-led initiatives, while also ensuring flexible work environments that accommodate caregiving responsibilities.
Through partnerships with governments and NGOs, businesses can provide affordable access to essential future technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and offer targeted training programs for youth and female entrepreneurs. Social impact investments, including seed funding and venture capital for youth and female entrepreneurs, will further boost innovation and entrepreneurial activities.
Facilitating social entrepreneurship education is also important, as social enterprises typically have agile business models and many social entrepreneurs are young and female. These models allow them to navigate the tensions between social and business goals, a capability that can serve as a valuable resource for youth and female entrepreneurs in managing environmental uncertainties.
This article was published in thejakartapost.com on October 25, 2024
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