The Asia Foundation, supported by DBS Foundation, empowers 80,000 vulnerable women in West Kalimantan | Bahasa
More than 80% of People Spend Their THR on Zakat and Food, So It's Important to Manage Your Money Wisely
The 'SHE CAN' programme aims at enhancing financial inclusion for vulnerable women in West Kalimantan
The SHE CAN programme was a response to the challenges faced by West Kalimantan due to the high value of the gender inequality index (0.52%), which is inconsistent with the quite high score in the financial inclusion index (84.16%). This shows that women have limited access to economic and political resources. The widening gender inequality in the last two years, accompanied by a decline in the Gender Empowerment Index score and an increase in violence against women—particularly within the domestic sphere—indicates the need for intervention that is focused on promoting women's independence and protection.
Hana Satriyo, Country Representative of The Asia Foundation Indonesia, said “The SHE CAN programme is in line with The Asia Foundation's mission to enhance economic empowerment and promote women's leadership. With the support of DBS Foundation, we are investing in women's skills development and aspirations to bring about positive change and transformation of local communities.”
Mona Monika, Head of Group Strategic Marketing & Communications at PT Bank DBS Indonesia, said, “This programme is part of a broader support from DBS Foundation, which will allocate SGD9 million or more than Rp100 billion for the next three years to improve the quality of life and welfare of vulnerable communities in Indonesia, including women. We believe that empowering women is the key to creating sustainable change. As a purpose-driven bank, we are committed to accelerating financial inclusion by expanding women's access to education, training and economic opportunities. This initiative is in line with Bank DBS Indonesia's vision to create impact beyond banking by supporting the development of more inclusive, empowered and resilient communities.”
In general, the complexity of the financial inclusion problem in Indonesia is due to the paradox of high access to financial services (inclusion index score of 85.1%) that is not matched by adequate literacy (literacy index score of 49.68%) (SNLIK OJK, 2022). This phenomenon is evident in the high number of people who are lured to invest in fraudulent schemes and who fall victims to illegal online lending services and gambling. In West Kalimantan, the financial inclusion achievement rate is slightly lower (84.16%) than the national rate, although the financial literacy index score is higher (51.95%).
A study by the SHE CAN Programme revealed that the inclusion rate among vulnerable and low-income women in West Kalimantan is still much lower than the OJK SNLIK figures, with only 67% of women having bank accounts, 38% accessing loans (CU/Pawnshop/bank), and 24% using e-wallets for digital transactions. This means there is still a gap between the financial inclusion achievement in general and the reality at the grassroots level, especially among vulnerable women.
The SHE CAN programme is an important initiative to accelerate gender equality for vulnerable women and promote sustainable development and more inclusive economic growth in West Kalimantan. Many studies show that when women have purchasing power and control over spending, they are more likely to spend it on children's education and family health, with a direct impact on the long-term quality of human resources.
Dr. Amurwani, S.Sos, Mhum, Deputy Minister for Gender Equality, Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, said, “We hope that with this financial inclusion acceleration programme, women, especially those from marginalised groups, can continue to develop their potential so that they can increase competitiveness, improve welfare, and have equal access and opportunities to enjoy the results of development.”
In his speech, Assistant II for Economic Affairs and Development, West Kalimantan Province Drs. Ignasius IK, SH, M.Si representing the governor of West Kalimantan, said, “This programme also supports the vision of the West Kalimantan Provincial Government for 2025-2030, which places gender equality and women's empowerment as regional development priorities. Together with TAF, DBS Foundation and all parties, the West Kalimantan Provincial Government is optimistic that accelerating and expanding access to finance through collaboration with the SHE CAN programme can be implemented well and have a positive impact on the community, particularly women in West Kalimantan.”
Summary of the SHE CAN programme study
In January-March 2025, TAF conducted a qualitative study in seven districts/cities on the latest developments in women's financial inclusion and how the programme could be implemented in West Kalimantan. The study findings show that:
- Women from vulnerable groups face structural and cultural barriers in accessing financial services, mainly due to a number of factors, including a lack of financial literacy, the absence of legal identity, and social norms that cast men as the main decision-makers in the family.
- Most women from vulnerable groups can only run informal businesses as they have difficulties meeting the requirements of formal financial institutions. This ultimately limits their economic opportunities and reinforces dependency within households and communities.
- The saving habit among women in West Kalimantan is very strong, even though none of them keep records of their household finances.
- There was a strong desire among the women interviewed to become more financially independent, particularly as a way to break out of the cycle of household economic dependency.
The study findings serve as a building block for designing a relevant financial literacy and financial inclusion training programme for 80,000 vulnerable women. By collaborating with local partners, namely PPSW Borneo, CU Keling Kumang, and Krealogi, SHE CAN will recruit 400 community facilitators using the Training of Facilitators (ToF) approach, and conduct hundreds of training and mentoring sessions in the community to reach 80,000 women.
The curriculum of the SHE CAN programme funded by DBS Foundation for the period 2025-2027 will be interactive, contextual, and applicable, incorporating face-to-face and online methods, games and practice sheets, participatory approaches, and ongoing mentoring. To generate long-term impact, the programme will also establish the West Kalimantan Financial Literacy Facilitator Network to manage knowledge assets and oversee programme sustainability.
For more information about this programme, please visit the DBS Foundation and The Asia Foundation websites.
About The Asia Foundation
The Asia Foundation is a non-profit international development organisation committed to improving lives and expanding opportunities in Asia and the Pacific. Drawing on 70 years of experience and deep local knowledge, our work focuses on governance, climate action, gender equality, education and leadership, inclusive growth, and international cooperation. We work in more than 20 countries through 17 offices and programmes across Asia and the Pacific, supported by headquarters in San Francisco and an office in Washington, D.C. Our funding comes from a diverse range of bilateral and multilateral development agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals.
For more information, please contact:
The Asia Foundation: shecan@asiafoundation.org
About DBS
DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with a presence in 19 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS is in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The bank's "AA-" and "Aa1" credit ratings are among the highest in the world.
Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named “World’s Best Bank” by Global Finance, “World’s Best Bank” by Euromoney and “Global Bank of the Year” by The Banker. The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, having been named “World’s Best Digital Bank” by Euromoney and the world’s “Most Innovative in Digital Banking” by The Banker. In addition, DBS has been accorded the “Safest Bank in Asia” award by Global Finance for 16 consecutive years from 2009 to 2024.
DBS provides a full range of services in consumer, SME and corporate banking. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS understands the intricacies of doing business in the region’s most dynamic markets.
Established in 1989 as part of the Singapore-based DBS Group, PT Bank DBS Indonesia (Bank DBS Indonesia) is one of the banks with the longest history in Asia. Currently operating 1 Head Office, 13 Branch Offices, 16 Assistant Offices and 4 Functional Offices and 3,011 active employees in 15 Major Cities in Indonesia, Bank DBS Indonesia provides comprehensive banking services that focus on the customer experience to 'Live more, Bank less'. We also see a purpose beyond banking and are committed to supporting our customers, employees, and the community towards a sustainable future.
PT Bank DBS Indonesia is licensed and supervised by The Indonesian Financial Services Authority (OJK), and an insured member of Indonesia Deposit Insurance Corporation (LPS).
DBS is committed to building lasting relationships with customers, as it banks the Asian way. Through the DBS Foundation, the bank creates impact beyond banking by supporting businesses for impact: enterprises with a double bottom-line of profit and social and/or environmental impact. DBS Foundation also gives back to society in various ways, including equipping underserved communities with future-ready skills and helping them to build food resilience.
With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. For more information, please visit www.dbs.com.
About DBS Foundation
Established in 2014, DBS Foundation is committed to uplifting lives and livelihoods of those in need. It provides essential needs to the underprivileged, and fosters inclusion by equipping the underserved with financial and digital literacy skills. It also nurtures innovative social enterprises that create positive impact. It aims to bring hope to those with less today, so no one is left behind and we can all face the future with confidence.
In 2024, DBS committed up to SGD 1 billion dollars over the next decade to support vulnerable communities. It also pledged to contribute 1.5 million employee volunteer hours over the same period.
Together with an ecosystem of like-minded partners, DBS Foundation seeks to create impact that goes beyond banking, beyond borders, and beyond generations.
For more information, please visit: www.dbs.com/dbsfoundation.
DBS Foundation
