OJK: Women’s Participation in the National Economy Is Very Important

The Financial Services Authority (OJK) mentioned the need for more women’s participation in national economic activities to make financial decisions. Therefore, empowering women in the financial sector is very important.

A Member of the OJK Board of Commissioners for Consumer Education and Protection Friderica Widyasari Dewi said at the Women in Fintech event at the Mandarin Hotel Jakarta, Thursday (11/8/2022), “No struggle can succeed without the participation of women side by side with men. This is a very strong force in the world,”

Thus, empowering women in the financial sector is very important. Because almost half of the world’s population is filled by women.

However, she said, unfortunately, this (women’s participation) was not balanced with financial knowledge and access to formal financial products.

Moreover, there are serious vulnerabilities for women to limited employment opportunities, lower incomes, the greatest responsibilities in the family, and low levels of financial literacy and financial inclusion.

The woman who is familiarly called Bu Kiki said that the role of women in the Indonesian economy is no less important. However, most of them are about 61% from the informal sector, while only 32% work to succeed, like most countries around the world.

Thus, she added, Indonesia must also expand financial literacy and inclusion. Because women need more special attention.

OJK is optimistic that access to financial technology will be quite helpful in advancing the goal of financial inclusion by bringing women into the system.

“Strengthening financial education programs for women is one of the targets in the national strategy. We are committed to carrying out a more massive and wider financial education program. Switching the education mode from face-to-face to digital,” she concluded.