She Can: Building Resilient Communities in Indonesia Through Women’s Financial Literacy

Lindawati, a rice farmer in rural West Kalimantan, supports her family through modest harvests of 180 to 300 kilograms—usually enough for six months of food. With her husband unable to work due to illness, she supplements her income by working in others’ fields and raising chickens for food and savings. Like many in the region, she has limited access to financial services, relying on a bank account solely for government aid and occasional support from her child. Despite having once learning basic bookkeeping, she avoids tracking expenses out of fear of what she might find—that her family isn’t making financial progress. Her story reflects the broader reality of rural farmers in West Kalimantan—resilient, resourceful, yet constrained by economic and infrastructure challenges. 

West Kalimantan is a largely rural and forested province on Borneo. Its weak infrastructure makes it difficult for many women to access basic services and economic opportunities, contributing to their vulnerability.  

To address these challenges, The Asia Foundation (TAF), with support from the DBS Foundation, launched the She Can program. Running through 2027, the initiative aims to reach 80,000 women across the region with financial literacy education, entrepreneurship training, and personalized mentoring. 

As part of the program, a qualitative study was conducted in March 2025, involving interviews with 40 women—including micro-entrepreneurs, plantation workers, informal teachers, and female heads of households—who are navigating socioeconomic barriers. The in-depth survey revealed that only about two-thirds of respondents owned a bank account. Even fewer had accessed loans from credit cooperatives, pawnshops, or banks, and only a small number reported using e-wallets or conducting digital transactions. This gap between financial access and capability underscores the urgent need for targeted education and empowerment programs. 

By equipping women with essential financial knowledge and skills, the program seeks to enable informed decision-making, foster economic independence, and help build stronger, more resilient communities. 

Empowering Women to Build Resilient Communities 

TAF and the DBS Foundation are committed to supporting the development of inclusive, empowered, and resilient communities. The She Can program will include a series of integrated trainings, mentoring sessions, and financial literacy education to help improve financial knowledge and skills among vulnerable women in West Kalimantan.  

She Can represents a vital step toward dismantling systemic barriers and enabling women to take charge of their financial futures. By combining practical financial education with localized mentoring and community engagement, it not only addresses gaps in financial literacy but also lays the groundwork for inclusive and lasting development across West Kalimantan. 

Bridging the Literacy Gap Through Women’s Empowerment

Women in Indonesia are directly involved in financial management within families—earning income and managing household expenses. However, this involvement often comes with a double burden. Women are active income earners but still bear the larger share of domestic responsibilities, in the absence of an equitable household labor division.  

Many women express the desire to improve their financial capabilities. Their goals include sending their children to college, building long-term assets such as homes and businesses, saving for retirement, and fulfilling religious obligations like pilgrimages and hajj. Yet, low financial literacy—awareness and implementation of basic financial practices such as tracking income and expenses, budgeting, or maintaining records of debt and assets—means many families are unaware of whether they are making ends meet, let alone building for the future.  

Thus, educating women about core concepts like budgeting and financial planning is crucial, not only for cultivating saving habits and building financial vision but also for laying the foundation for economic resilience. While interest in budgeting is strong, the most in-demand topics for financial education among women include increasing income through entrepreneurship and investments. 

Localized Solutions and Sustainable Strategies

Findings from early assessments of the She Can program have been translated into a comprehensive curriculum. This includes refining criteria for identifying marginalized women—such as those who are older, victims of child marriage, not involved in micro or small enterprises, or living in remote areas—and designing strategies for long-term program sustainability. Additional participant feedback points to the importance of involving men at least during early socialization stages—seeing the importance of women and men sharing household responsibilities, promoting saving habits in varied forms, and developing grassroots mentorship cadres.  

While residents in urban areas of West Kalimantan generally have access to banks and credit unions, those in rural and peri-urban regions do not. In these areas, traditional practices like ijon—the advanced selling of crops—and physical cash savings—using piggy banks—are still common but ineffective for long-term financial growth. Furthermore, the adoption of digital financial services remains low, hindered not only by infrastructure gaps but also by negative experiences like online scams or fraud, poor perceptions, and limited community support. 

Collective Commitment to Change 

At the program’s launch in Pontianak on April 15, 2025, Hana Satriyo, TAF country representative for Indonesia, emphasized the broader vision: “The She Can program is part of our commitment to empowering women through skills and leadership, creating real change in their lives and communities.”  

Mona Monika, head of the DBS Foundation’s Group Strategic Marketing & Communications Bank, emphasized that the initiative aligns with DBSF Indonesia’s vision to create a positive impact beyond banking by supporting the development of more inclusive, empowered, and resilient communities. “We believe that women’s empowerment is 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,” she stated. 

Amurwani, deputy for gender equality at the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, reinforced the importance of this effort: “Better financial literacy will help women compete, improve their well-being, and access equal opportunities.” 

Echoing this, West Kalimantan provincial government officials voiced strong support for the program, recognizing its alignment with local priorities for promoting gender equality and integrating women’s empowerment into sustainable development goals.