Women`s Empowerment through Non-Formal Education Programs to Increase Women's Confidence and Self-Potential

Abstract

Background: Women's empowerment is a strategic aspect of sustainable development, yet in Indonesia's agricultural sector there is still a significant gender gap. Although women constitute 36.7% of Indonesia's agricultural labour, their contributions remain undervalued and perceived as auxiliary support rather than recognized as primary agricultural workers. Women farmers' groups (Kelompok Wanita Tani/KWT) have emerged as grassroots organizations with substantial potential to advance women's empowerment through non-formal education programs that transcend agricultural productivity to encompass entrepreneurial skills, financial management, and women's rights awareness.

Research Urgency: Previous research on women's empowerment in KWT has primarily focused on economic aspects, psychological empowerment dimensions such as self-confidence and personal potential development have received insufficient attention. KWT Bunga Al Barokah in Ketapang Village addresses this gap by implementing comprehensive non-formal education programs including skills training, life skills education, entrepreneurship training, and literacy activities to increase members' confidence and self-potential.

Research Objectives: This study analyzes the empowerment process, efforts to strengthen self-confidence and self-potential, and identifies supporting and inhibiting factors of women's empowerment through non-formal education programs aimed at increasing self-confidence and self-potential among women in KWT Bunga Al Barokah.

Research Method: This case study research employed a descriptive qualitative approach utilizing data collection techniques including interviews with six informants, observation, and documentation analysis.

Research Findings: Result shows that women's empowerment through non-formal education programs including skills training, life skills education, entrepreneurship training, and literacy activities in KWT Bunga Al Barokah successfully enhanced members' confidence and potential through four systematic stages. This process was supported by internal factors such as democratic leadership, high member commitment, and effective communication, alongside external factors including institutional support and socio-cultural changes, despite encountering obstacles including time constraints, diversity in member capacity, and traditional community perspectives.

Research Conclusion: This study concludes that non-formal education programs implemented within women farmers' groups constitute an effective approach for women's empowerment in agricultural communities, successfully increasing members' self-confidence and unlocking their potential through systematic implementation stages.

Research Novelty: This study has novelty in its focus on women's empowerment through non-formal education programs to increase self-confidence and self-potential, unlike previous studies that emphasized food security and economic aspects. Additionally, this research employs dual analytical frameworks (Miles & Huberman's interactive model and Longwe's gender analysis) to comprehensively understand empowerment program outcomes. The unique research setting at KWT Bunga Al Barokah, characterized by internal empowerment agents and absence of similar research in Ketapang Village, Susukan Sub-district, Semarang Regency, further distinguishes this study.