Gebyar Bakti Wanita Nusantara Enlivens Cilegon Square

The Gebyar Bakti Wanita Nusantara, themed ‘United in Togetherness, Empowered in Work’, was held at Cilegon City Square on Thursday, 30 July 2026. The event, organised by the Cilegon City Women’s Organisations Association (GOW), served as a collaborative platform for women’s organisations to showcase creativity, develop potential, and promote women’s empowerment and community economic growth.

A variety of activities enlivened the occasion, including group exercise, arts and cultural performances, a fashion show using recycled materials, colouring and painting activities for children, talk shows, and an exhibition and bazaar for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The high level of community participation was evident from the large number of visitors and the economic activity generated during the event.

Irna Narlita, Chair of the Banten Province Women’s Organisations Cooperation Agency (BKOW), expressed high appreciation for the event. She noted that the involvement of children, whom she described as the golden generation with many talents, was particularly commendable. ‘This activity should become a regular agenda because it leaves a real impression and impact on the community,’ she said. She was amazed by the scale of community and women’s organisation involvement, viewing the event not just as a celebration but as a space to develop women’s potential, showcase young talent, and introduce Cilegon’s creative products and MSMEs.

She highlighted that MSME participation created economic turnover and opened opportunities for local products to gain wider recognition. ‘Here, MSMEs are involved and money circulates. Great works can be seen and noticed by the community and tourists alike, from culinary products, fashion, and handicrafts to increasingly attractive and upgraded packaging. With this, we hope our MSMEs will continue to advance,’ she said. She encouraged women’s organisations to continue building collaborations and presenting empowerment activities tailored to their members’ potential and needs, starting from the village, sub-district, and district levels.

‘Women need to be continuously empowered through skills training, technical guidance, and potential development according to their interests and expertise. If women are empowered, the economy at the village, sub-district, and city levels will also continue to move and grow,’ she added.

Cilegon Deputy Mayor Fajar Hadi Prabowo also expressed his appreciation to the Cilegon GOW and all collaborating parties. He stated that a region’s progress is not only measured by infrastructure development but also by the success of women’s empowerment and their active involvement in development. ‘Development in Cilegon City cannot be separated from the unity and hard work of women. The strength of women cannot be underestimated, and Cilegon City still greatly needs the contribution and role of women in various aspects of development,’ he said.

Fajar expressed hope that the event would not be a one-day ceremonial activity but the start of a sustainable empowerment movement. He also praised the participants’ creativity in turning waste materials into valuable fashion pieces. ‘This shows that with a creative mindset, something initially seen as a problem can be processed into an opportunity and a more valuable creation,’ he said. He emphasised that the event’s success was the result of teamwork and solid collaboration, not the effort of a single leader.

Nur Kusuma Ngarasati, Chair of Cilegon City GOW, was grateful for the event’s success. She reported that around 1,500 people had attended since morning, positively impacting the economic turnover for MSMEs. ‘Alhamdulillah, today’s agenda went according to our hopes and was beneficial and impactful. We did not expect such great enthusiasm from the community. Since morning, around 1,500 people have attended, and the economic turnover has been extraordinary. All 300 vouchers we provided for MSMEs were completely used up,’ she said. She added that GOW is committed to continuing to embrace and assist women’s organisations in developing their potential, including through MSME strengthening, digitalisation, skills enhancement, and public speaking training.