Deputy Minister of Creative Economy: Women must dare to dream and make them a reality

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Creative Economy (Wamen Ekraf) Irene Umar has encouraged Indonesian women to dare to dream and to work hard to make those dreams come true.

“Women dare to dream, that’s where it starts. If we aren’t even brave enough to dream, then we won’t dare to take the first step. I hope not only for women, but for all Indonesian citizens. Don’t start something by thinking ‘what if I can’t’ or ‘how could I dream big’ or ‘I’m not worthy’,” said Deputy Minister of Creative Economy Irene Umar during the national dialogue titled “Empowering Communities, Enhancing Independence, and National Resilience in Strengthening Strategic and Inclusive Women’s Leadership” in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Irene Umar also urged women to build self-confidence so they can break free from the limitations that confine their potential.

“Confidence level. How can I value myself? Am I confident? Do I appreciate what I do? Have we ever thought, ‘Oh, I’m just a woman, I can’t possibly do it’? With that mindset, we’ve already lost before starting. I want us to be resilient women. We shouldn’t let our gender’s dignity become an obstacle,” said Deputy Minister of Creative Economy Irene Umar.

“So as long as there’s a will, there’s definitely a way. I don’t always say that budgets have to be big or small; if we want to do it, we can definitely do it through collaboration,” said Deputy Minister of Creative Economy Irene Umar.

Several state officials attended the event, including Deputy Minister for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) Veronica Tan, Deputy Minister for Population and Family Development (Wamendukbangga) Ratu Ayu Isyana Bagoes Oka, and Deputy for Systems and Strategy at the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Raditya Jati.