Wahyu Dwi Anggoro
IDXChannel - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Nikel Academy, an online training provider established by PT Impact Credit Solutions, have announced the launch of a new program to support women-owned small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to access financing and grow their businesses.
Financial Inclusion of Women-Led Small and Medium Enterprises (FINCLUSION for W-SMEs) is a USD1.2 million activity that aims to mobilize USD50 million in lending to women-owned SMEs in Indonesia.
Women own almost half of all Indonesian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). However, these women often have difficulty borrowing money to invest in their businesses. Most banks do not have a strategy to target the SME sector or to address the specific challenges of women-led SMEs. Women SME owners in Indonesia also face barriers as entrepreneurs, including availability of financial services, procedures to acquire loans, digital literacy, and balancing business needs with household responsibilities.
To address these issues, FINCLUSION will support women-led SMEs to access information about financial products and provide networking opportunities, business training, and digital tools, while also supporting local partner banks with digital loan origination services. This support will lead to improved access to loans for women to invest in their businesses.
“The United States, through USAID, is committed to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment, including in terms of economic opportunities,” said USAID Indonesia Acting Mission Director Erin Nicholson in a media release, Wednesday (17/1/2023).
