Women Leaders Who Give Us Hope
“I couldn’t believe it that I am a woman and not a graduate but was selected as the Director of BUMDes in the Village Forum (MUSREMBANG). I was even assisted by a secretary and treasurer who were graduates. I would like to prove that if women are trusted they will make capable leaders,” said Kristina, a woman from East Sumba Regency who is one of the village leaders.
Being a leader is an extraordinary opportunity for Sumbanese women. The culture and caste system that affect the daily lives of Sumbanese people limit the space for women’s participation. This makes many women unconfident and unable to take the position of a leader. In the past, Kristina also thought the same way. However, she has since changed as she realizes that women also have the right to be confident and be leaders.
After attending training on GESI for village facilitators, Kristina was strongly convinced that women’s participation in the village program was essential. Mama Kristina's capacity grew after she was involved in the ENVISION project (Enabling Civil Society for Inclusive Village Economic Development) funded by the European Union (EU) through Wahana Visi Indonesia. “Work such as cooking, washing, taking care of the house, and taking care of children require women’s ‘hands and heart’ to perform them. Then, women and men should share the work because both women and men have hands and a heart,” said the mother of three children.
“Likewise, if you are a leader, you need to use your brain and heart. So, women also have the same brain and heart as men. So we can also be leaders. Why can’t we be leaders all this time? This means that women have to change, we have a way of thinking too," she concluded.
Being the first female leader in the village is not an easy task for Kristina. Moreover, she has to manage the BUMDes to provide significant benefits for her village economy. Kristina’s children have high hopes for their mother’s important role. They want their mother to be able to successfully carry out her duties as director of BUMDes even though there are many things that need to be fixed.
“We want Mom to be a role model for women leaders by setting a good example. Being honest, sincere, and responsible with the position trusted by the current village government,” said Kristina’s eldest daughter. “Mom also has to be able to manage BUMDEs capital well to gain profits. Mom should be different from other administrators, so that when you are no longer a BUMDes administrator, your successors can continue your good work,’ she expected. Kristina started her work at BUMDes by restructuring organizational management. The village BUMDes was inactive due to past leadership void. Kristina wants BUMDES to move forward and support the development of tourist business units. Consequently, in March 2022, the BUMDes was restructured and Kristina was elected as director.
“Gaining trust to be the Director of BUMDes is not an easy thing. I have been through a long process with the ENVISION program. This trust motivates me to keep enhancing economic impact on society,” said Kristina. She attended various trainings to broaden her knowledge and sharpen her skills. It did not take long under her leadership to prepare BUMDes documents and register their BUMDes to the Ministry of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia. In less than a year, the BUMDes of East Sumba Regency managed to get a BUMDes Legal Entity Registration Certificate. This BUMDes is registered to run three business units namely, farmer kiosks, tourism management, and sweet corn products.
In the same year, Kristina and management submitted a BUMDes accountability report. This report shows that the BUMDes met all standards except for having a legal certificate. Their BUMDes accountability is unquestionable. This report was presented to the community and the village and sub-district governments transparently.
In the second semester of 2022, the BUMDes has managed to contribute Rp. 5,148,000 to village income. Not only profitable, BUMDes also expands the village network by building partnerships with the private sector for farmer kiosks. Kristina’s role as a female leader who is active and capable of managing a BUMDes is the cornerstone of success. In 2023, the BUMDes even succeeded in establishing a partnership with Perum BULOG to expand the farmer kiosks to additionally sell rice. In fact, the village government also provided additional business capital of IDR 50,000,000 due to the BUMDes’ rapid development and benefits for village business cycles.
Author: ENVISION project team in Sumba Timur
Editor: Mariana Kurniawati (Communication Executive)
