The climate crisis is not merely an environmental threat but a\ntangible economic challenge, particularly for women. Recognising this,\nKUMPUL, in collaboration with UN Women and PT Permodalan Nasional Madani\n(PNM), organised the EmPower National Forum 2026: Scaling-Up Women\u2019s\nAccess to Finance for Climate Action on Saturday (23\/5).<\/p>\n
This national forum brought together over 100 stakeholders, including\ngovernment officials, financial institutions, development organisations,\nand women\u2019s entrepreneurship communities. The primary focus was to\nexpand access to climate finance for women-owned businesses and to share\nsuccessful implementations of community-based climate action in\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Data indicates that women play a crucial role in food security and\nthe economy. However, they remain constrained by unequal access to\nresources, a situation that risks worsening due to climate change. Dwi\nYuliawati, Head of Programmes at UN Women Indonesia, emphasised that\nempowering women is the most efficient strategy for economic resilience.\n\u201cIf women gain greater control over productive resources, the impact\nwill be far broader. This is clear evidence that gender equality is the\nkey to resilience,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n
The forum is part of the EmPower: Women for Climate-Resable Societies\nProgramme (Phase II). This global initiative by UN Women and UNEP is\nsupported by the governments of New Zealand, Germany, Sweden, and\nSwitzerland to strengthen gender-responsive climate action across the\nAsia-Pacific. In Indonesia, the programme has demonstrated tangible\nresults through collaborations with PNM and KUMPUL. Having launched in\nWest Nusa Tenggara (NTB) and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) in 2025, the\nprogramme expanded to West Java and East Java in early 2026.<\/p>\n
Razaq Manan Ahmad, EVP of Development Service Management at PNM,\nrevealed that climate change has made the incomes of female clients\nincreasingly unpredictable. \u201cPNM is beginning to promote financial\nservices that are more responsive to climate risks, ensuring that women\nentrepreneurs possess the knowledge and adaptation technologies to\nbecome more resilient,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
Similarly, Faye Wongso, Founder and Chairperson of KUMPUL, emphasised\nthe importance of viewing women as leaders of adaptation rather than\nmerely beneficiaries. Through this forum, stakeholders hope to create\neffective de-risking mechanisms to scale green business solutions from a\nsmall scale to a national level. Participants at the EmPower National\nForum 2026 committed to driving a financing ecosystem that is not only\neconomically inclusive but also responsive to future climate\nchallenges.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/empower-national-forum-2026-strengthening-climate-finance-access-for-women-1780883314", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }