Women’s Contribution in the Economy Remains 60 Pct, Retno Marsudi Calls for Increased Women Empowerment Programs

SEAToday.com, Nusa Dua - A middle-aged woman is seen tidying up her merchandise on the hotel yard, a five-star hotel in the Nusa Dua area, Bali. She is Tatik Anita Hariyati, the owner of a local snack called Annapurna, made from tempeh and tuna skin, from Blahbatuh sub-district in Gianyar.

Founded in 2023, this Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) was established to boost the economy for Tatik, her family, and even her neighbors, which had sharply declined since Bali's tourism sector was completely shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tatik chose tuna skin and tempeh as her main ingredients because they contain nutritional value in the form of protein and omega-3, making her snacks healthier compared to other chips.

“Why am I selling tuna chips, when I didn't initially sell this? Because tuna has nutritional value and omega-3, so at least when people eat tuna crackers, they’re not just eating ordinary crackers—they still get the nutritional benefit. The same goes for tempeh chips, which are high in protein because they are made from soybeans,” said Tatik during the Asia Grassroots Forum 2025 exhibition on Thursday (22/5).

Her processed tempeh and tuna skin products are sold at prices ranging from 19,000 to 35,000 rupiah per package and have attracted the attention of foreign tourists curious about the taste.

One of them is Devendra Datt, an Indian chef, who took the time to try her products during the Asia Grassroots Forum 2025, which he attended.

“I was looking for new products in the market, and when I saw this product, I was curious to try it. As a chef, I tried each one, and it turned out to be tasty and not too greasy,” said Devendra after sampling the products.

Now, Tatik's chips are distributed across various regions in Indonesia, including Java, Lombok, and Papua, and have even been exported abroad to Johannesburg, South Africa.

Tatik is just one of 3.7 million women MSME owners who received a financing of 5 million rupiah from the financial service company Amartha to develop their businesses and help reduce gender disparity for women in Indonesia.

Based on data from the Global Gender Gap Report 2024, women’s participation in the economic sector only reaches 60.5%, much lower than women’s participation in education, which is 94.9%, and in health, which is 96%.

“What’s important is that we must think that men and women have the same rights, but this is not easy because it all starts from the family. If the family is open-minded and treats men and women equally, then the development will extend to a broader scope,” said Tri Mumpuni, Executive Director of IBEKA, on the same day.

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