Background

In Asia, over 95% of businesses are Small and Medium Enterprises (Tambunan, 2009) thus the biggest source of employment, providing livelihood for over 90% of the country’s workforce, especially women and the young. Though the participation of women in SMEs is still small, they are most prevalent in the Micro-enterprise (MIEs) sector. In the rural areas in Asia, rural women are now increasingly running their own businesses yet their entrepreneurial potential, managerial skill and socio-economic contribution remain largely neglected (Mishra and Kiran, 2012).

Entrepreneurship requires one to take risks, to challenge oneself, and thus preparation and ongoing education and mentoring is important if women entrepreneurs are to succeed. This is even more true when women are involved with natural resource based products such as those based on non-ti mber forest resources, coastal and marine resources and farming produce which are also dependent on factors such as price fluctuation, skills and technology upgrading needs, policy barriers, discriminatory practices and climate dependent production among other concerns. Factors affecting women entrepreneurship include educational and work background, lack of exposure and awareness of innovation and creative ventures, lack of confidence in male dominated industries, work-life balance, lack of assets to be able to source loans and capital, stable and consistent production and human resources and up-scaling uncertainties.

Experiences of NTFP-EP with women artisans and woman NTFP producers is that they often have a multiple burden of taking care of their children and their husbands, leading in the domestic chores performing important cultural and social roles and earning an income from an enterprise. These multiple roles may often come in conflict which may lead to domestic clashes. It is important to surface such concerns and share lessons learned so that women can best balance the different roles they see important in their lives including her enterprise.

This training seeks to explore the potential of women entrepreneurship with those women individuals that are facing questions and challenges on their nature based enterprises across Asia. Against the backdrop of the vibrant and dynamic artisanal city of Yogyakarta, the training will cover both technical business aspects as well as other social and environmental factors often seen as peripheral yet very relevant to the success of business operations. The training will thus impart soft skills and hard skills to build the capacity of the trainees in these fields.

The training will also look into different models of women entrepreneurship such as individual entrepreneurship and group entrepreneurship and explores the strengths and weaknesses of different models for different commodity and product categories.

Objectives

Overall objective:

After the training the trainees will be equipped with the basic knowledge and soft skills and hard skills to launch or improve women lead, natural resource based enterprises.

Specific objectives

• Trainees understand the important elements in launching and running a successful woman led, natural resource-based enterprise including enterprise mind set, human resource requirements, business skills and favorable business situation
• Trainees are able to apply basic enterprise management knowledge and skills
• Trainees are able to think systematically and thoughtfully about social and environmental aspects affecting the business and present strategies and approaches in balancing enterprise goals and social goals

Methodology

The EXCEED training team will use a balance of lecture-based methods as well as structured learning exercises, films, cases and exposure visits to facilitate learning. Each of the trainees will choose from a set of 4 case studies which will be utilized through out the training and which will be the base of learning and application of skills and knowledge. 2 workshops/ sites of women entrepreneurs will be visited. One will be an individual entrepreneur and another is a group based enterprise which has successfully scaled up. Gender concerns and nuances will also be discussed with these practitioners to receive concrete examples and lessons. Trainers will apply a holistic methodology touching on both soft and hard skills needed in enterprise management. Finally, a re-entry plan will be developed by each individual at the end of the training and will guide application of knowledge and lessons learned upon a trainees return to her own setting

Partners

Along with seasoned NTFP-EP trainers, EXCEED will also invite ASPPUK or the Association Supporting women in small enterprise, and Lawe to be resource persons/ organizations during the training. ASPPUK is the network of 54 local women organizations working on economic upliftment of women in Indonesia and they have members in 20 provinces with women membership. Lawe is a a community social enterprise that transforms traditional handwoven fabric into functional products through women empowerment. The trainees will also be visiting ASPPUK members in and around Yogyakarta as well as the Lawe workshop and artisans in Yogyakarta.

Trainee criteria

• Woman, with initial basic enterprise orientation/ training
• Involved in setting-up (conducted preparation and research) or an already existing natural resource-based enterprise (food, forestry, farming, coastal, marine)

Schedule: September 5-9, 2017
Venue: Yogyakarta, Indonesia

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