Girl 2.0

Indonesia has the third largest economy in Southeast Asia. However, the wealth hasn’t benefited everyone equally — one study found that, in 2017, the four richest men in Indonesia had more wealth than the poorest 100 million people living in the country combined. And, traditional gender roles still limit what jobs young women can get and how much money they make. Many young women who do work have to rely on informal employment opportunities that pay even less and lack formal labor protections.

In Indonesia, women earn 23% less than men on average, and high-paying jobs are dominated by men. Young women need more, better options.

What are we doing?

The GIRL 2.0 project focuses on providing young people, especially women, with the skills, resources and connections they need to start their own businesses.

Through the project, young entrepreneurs learn technical skills like product development and financial management, while strengthening key life skills like decision-making. They work with mentors to develop business plans and, as the project progresses, pitch their ideas to panels of judges for seed capital. Local entrepreneurs are invited to network with project participants to build support and resources so young people’s businesses are successful.

Young women in the project also collaborate with local organizations to identify unique barriers they face in their entrepreneurship journeys and develop solutions that will lead to more equal opportunities.

With GIRL 2.0, we’re strengthening the web of support for entrepreneurs in Indonesia so young women can open their own businesses and achieve financial independence.