Women's Empowerment Minister Praises Sidakarya Cooperative for Supporting Women-Led SMEs

Denpasar (ANTARA) – The Minister for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA), Arifah Fauzi, has praised the role of the Merah Putih Sidakarya Village Cooperative in empowering women through the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

This was conveyed by Arifah during a visit to the Merah Putih Cooperative, located in Sidakarya Village, South Denpasar, Denpasar City, Bali, on Wednesday.

During her visit, Arifah observed the cooperative’s activities, most of whose members are small business owners.

According to Arifah, since its launch in August 2025, the cooperative has been utilised by approximately 505 members. This number is considered a significant achievement in a relatively short period.

“This is certainly very helpful for people in the lower and middle classes, as it allows them to continue their businesses without having to borrow from loan sharks who charge very high interest rates,” she said.

Through the cooperative system, members gain access to more affordable and accessible financing.

In addition, the cooperative also provides training and mentoring for its members to empower them economically.

This training is considered important to improve the capacity of local businesses so that they can develop and become more sustainable.

Arifah revealed that around 65 per cent of the cooperative’s members are women. They come from various business backgrounds, such as vegetable sellers, cake makers, and owners of small boutiques that market their own products.

This, she said, shows that women play a significant role in driving the family economy as well as the village economy.

“Basically, it’s great, this can be very beneficial, because this is indeed an extraordinary idea from Mr. President, because every village can be independent, every village can be stronger, and this is strengthened by its own people,” said the Minister of PPPA.

With the right support, women can become the driving force behind MSMEs at the local level.

She also mentioned the village cooperative program as a strategic idea in strengthening village independence. Each village is encouraged to be independent and strong by optimising its own community potential.

Furthermore, Arifah hopes that the cooperative will not only function as a savings and loan institution, but also as a space for collaboration and consultation for the community.

The cooperative can be a place to find solutions to various problems faced by residents, such as resolving violence against women and children.

According to her, strengthening village cooperatives can be one of the solutions to maintain the stability and welfare of the village. Problems that arise at the village level are expected to be resolved together through the spirit of mutual cooperation (gotong-royong).

With its achievements and high level of active participation from women, the Merah Putih Sidakarya Village Cooperative is expected to become an example for other villages in developing MSMEs based on community empowerment.