Indosat Ooredoo, Indonesia

Name of Organization / Company: Indosat Ooredoo, Indonesia
Category: Award for Innovation in Community Relations or Public Service Communications

Entry Title: Indosat Ooredoo

Entry:

Context

Indosat Ooredoo is a leading telecoms operator in Indonesia and has pledged to become Indonesia’s leading digital telco by making technology more accessible and affordable for everyone and every business. A core part of this strategy was to empower Indonesia’s rural ‘womenpreneurs’ through its INSPERA (Inspiring Indonesian Women) initiative by offering guidance, working capital, and functional training using mobile technology, thus improving the quality of life of rural Indonesian communities.

In 2016, Indosat Ooredoo built on its strong existing community relations efforts and launched two key initiatives as part of INSPERA to further help underprivileged women to harness the benefits of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), with the focus on improving their quality of life and their capacity to earn an income sustainably:

1. Talk Show/ Roundtable Series

In March 2016, Indosat Ooredoo launched its first joint roundtable/talk show titled ‘Women Connected to Mobile Internet: Women in Digital World’ as part of INSPERA. The inaugural event was designed as an in-depth sharing session covering current issues related to the Indonesian digital era, discussing technological solutions and the evolving role of Indonesian women and micro-entrepreneurs.

It was led by key government officials and female entrepreneurs who held an open dialogue on ideas and solutions for Indonesian women through technology, such as mobile wallet services including Indosat Ooredoo’s Dompetku service.

2. Women Master Classes

Over the course of 2016, INSPERA organised and conducted four separate masterclass training sessions to train and equip Indonesian women with the specific skills needed in technology:
(1) Parenting in the Digital Era;
2) Women in the Digital Economy;
(3) Digital Security and Safety for Women and Family; and
(4) Commercial Product Photography.

All the master classes taught participants to explore opportunities offered by technology and the digital world. The four complementary classes encouraged women’s entrepreneurial spirit through a curriculum that blended soft and technical skills.

3. Indosat Ooredoo’s Women Migrant Worker Empowerment Program

The empowerment program breaks down barriers preventing these women from accessing funding and job opportunities, teaching them to use the internet. Within this programme INSPERA’s initiatives include training and mentorship programs, digital-based business promotion and marketing activities, IT facilities, e-commerce support, business facilities, and HR development to assist the underserved female migrant workers.

Apart from the Indonesian Ministry of Labour, INSPERA partnered other institutions including universities, local governments and stakeholders: BRI, APWI (Entrepreneurship Guidance Association), Slamet Quail Farm, University of Padjajaran and the local Government of Kabupaten Sukabumi.

Results

Generating significant awareness in rural Indonesian communities, the Talk Show/Roundtable series and Women Master Classes were both heavily oversubscribed, successfully attracting demand from a wide range of female participants and entrepreneurs of over 200 attendees each.

The inaugural talk show’s speakers included: Meutya Hafid – Vice Chairman of the House of Representatives Commission; Septriana Tangkary – Director of Information Technology Empowerment, Ministry of Communication and Informatics; and female Indonesian start-up founders.

The empowerment program for Indonesian female migrant workers began in August 2016 and successfully targeted 60 females in high-risk communities: Kecamatan Cisaat, Kecamatan Sukaraja, Kecamatan Kebon Pedes and Kabupaten Sukabumi. Through the program, the women acquired tangible skills that will empower and enable them to earn a living in the digital age and produce additional income for their families in the future.

Indosat Ooredoo continues to dedicate its resources and expertise to eliminate existing barriers and inequality between men and women in the digital world, enabling women to become independent, informed and involved individuals of the digital economy. In line with this objective, Indosat Ooredoo has committed to further increase the number of women connected to the mobile internet in Indonesia from 40% to 43% by 2020 (over 7 million women).

Supporting Links:

http://snack.to/b7k3ectv
https://gsmaconnectedwomen.exposure.co/indosat-ooredoo
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hmwbbqs9ry1mlwu/AADRvr94Gu30kyvfA912vhpea?dl=0