Examining Inclusiveness of a Women’s Empowerment Program

Amalia Tri Widya Ningrum

doi:10.22146/jps.v11i2.103624

Examining Inclusiveness of a Women’s Empowerment Program

https://doi.org/10.22146/jps.v11i2.103624

Amalia Tri Widya Ningrum^(1*)

(1) Department of Sociology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract

This study examines the inclusiveness of a program called Desa PRIMA (Perempuan Indonesia Maju Mandiri) or Women's Village Empowerment Program for Advanced Indonesian Women, which was developed by the Yogyakarta Special Region Government to alleviate poverty and promote gender equality. Specifically, it examines the extent to which the program effectively reaches vulnerable groups of women, including widows, individuals with disabilities, survivors of violence, and other marginalized communities. Employing a qualitative case study approach, this research explores the program’s implementation at Desa PRIMA’s Productive Economic Group (Kelompok Ekonomi Produktif – KEP), Amarta Sejahtera, located in Pandowoharjo Village, Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta. Data were collected through observations, in-depth interviews, and document analysis. Thematic analysis was employed to identify patterns in the program’s inclusiveness. The findings indicate that while the program has a positive impact on women’s collective enterprises by enhancing their confidence, facilitating knowledge-sharing, and providing social support. However, it still faces challenges in effectively reaching vulnerable women. Political interests emerge as a key barrier to the program’s effectiveness, increasing the risk of exclusion and restricting access to essential resources. The study concludes that women’s empowerment programs need to be redesigned to promote greater inclusivity and better align with the needs of their intended target groups. Such efforts are crucial in promoting equitable access to opportunities and resources, particularly for women in vulnerable groups.

Keywords

Desa PRIMA; Exclusion; Inclusiveness; KEP; Women empowerment

Full Text:

PDF

References

Abrams, D., Hogg, M. A., and J. M. (2004). The Social Psychology of Inclusion and Exclusion: A Social Psychological Framework for Understanding Social Inclusion and Exclusion. Psychology Press.

Aslop, R. J., K. A., and S. D. (2000). Are Gram Panchayats Inclusive? Report of a Study Conducted in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. South Asia, Social Development Unit. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=893c80476f04fff0694562c1fed41b057209012f

Baumeister, R. F., and Tice, D. M. (1990). Anxiety and Social Exclusion. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 9 (2), 165–195. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.1990.9.2.165

Baviskar, B. S. (2002). Including the Excluded: Empowering the Powerless. Sociological Bulletin, 51(2), 168-174. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038022920020201

Cochran, C. E. (1973). The Politics of Interest: Philosophy and the Limitations of the Science of Politics. American Journal of Political Science, 17(4), 745–766. https://doi.org/10.2307/2110606

Crandall, C. S. (1994). Prejudice against fat people: Ideology and self-interest. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66(5), 882–894. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.66.5.882

Crocker, J., M. B., and S. C. (1998). Social stigma. In Gilbert, D., Fiske, S.T. & Lindzey, G. (Eds.), Handbook of Social Psychology (4th edn., Vol. 2, pp. 504–553). Boston: McGraw-Hill

Dallmayr, F. R. (1970). Empirical Political Theory & the Image of Man. Polity, 2(4), 443–478. https://doi.org/10.2307/3233996

de Haan, A. (1998). Social Exclusion: an Alternative Concept for the Study of Deprivation. In Poverty and Social Exclusion in North and South, edited by Arjan de Haan, and Simon Maxwell. Institute for Development Studies Bulletin 29, no. 1: 10-19.

Government of the Special Region of Yogyakarta. (2021). Governor Regulation Number 107 of 2021 concerning technical guidelines for the development of Progressive and Independent Indonesian Women’s Village [Unofficial translation].

Kabeer, N. (1999). Resources, Agency, Achievements: Reflections on the Measurement of Women’s Empowerment. Development and Change, 30, 435-464. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-7660.00125

Khadka, A., and Schuett, M. (2024). Exploring Women’s Empowerment and Adaptive Capacity in Chepang Communities of Chitwan, Nepal. Science Direct, 52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2024.101070

Kress, P. F. (1969). The Web and the Tree: Metaphors of Reason and Value. Midwest Journal of Political Science, 13(3), 395–414. https://doi.org/10.2307/2110231

Levine, J. M., and Moreland, R. L. (1994). Group Socialization: Theory and Research. European Review of Social Psychology, 5(1), 305–336. https://doi.org/10.1080/14792779543000093

Major, B., and Eccleston, C. P. (2005). Stigma and Social Exclusion. In Abrams D., Hogg M. A., & Marques J. M (Eds.), The Social Psychology of Inclusion and Exclusion (pp. 63-87). New York: Psychology Press.

McLaughlin-Volpe, T., Aron, A., Wright, S. C., and Lewandowski Jr, G. W. (2004). Exclusion of the Self by Close Others and by Groups: Implications of the Self-Expansion Model. In Abrams D., Hogg M. A., & Marques J. M (Eds.), The Social Psychology of Inclusion and Exclusion (pp. 30-213). New York: Psychology Press.

Miller, C. T., and Kaiser, C. R. (2001). Implications of Mental Models of Self and Others for The Targets of Stigmatization. In M. R. Leary (Ed.), Interpersonal rejection (pp. 189-212). New York: Oxford University Press.

Office of Women’s Empowerment, Child Protection and Population Control of the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DP3AP2 DIY). (2019). Desa PRIMA guidebook.

Office of Women’s Empowerment, Child Protection and Population Control of the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DP3AP2 DIY). (2023). Guidelines for the implementation of KEP Desa PRIMA.

Prijono, O. S., and Pranarka, A. M. W. (1996). Empowerment: Concept, Policy, and Implementation. Jakarta: Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Prodip, M. A. (2021). Exclusion Through Inclusion: Institutional Constraints on Women’s Political Empowerment in India and Bangladesh. World Affairs, 184(2), 213-244. https://doi.org/10.1177/00438200211013017

The Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection. (2023). Minister Regulation Number 03 of 2023 Implementation of Concurrent Government Affairs in the Field of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection [Unofficial translation].

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22146/jps.v11i2.103624