Social Media Empowerment: How Social Media Helps to Boost Women Entrepreneurship in Indonesian Urban Areas

• Main Authors: Ezmieralda Melissa, Anis Hamidati, Muninggar Sri Hamidati
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: The International Academic Forum 2013-08-01
• Series: IAFOR Journal of Media, Communication & Film
• Subjects: Indonesia; social media; Internet; entrepreneurship; gender; development
• Online Access: https://iafor.org/journal/iafor-journal-of-media-communication-and-film/volume-1-issue-1/article-6/

In Indonesia, there is a growing trend to open businesses through social media, especially by women. There are many reasons that account for this trend, the main reason being the flexibility that it affords businesses, allowing transactions to be done from anywhere, including one’s own home. This paper argues that online business has great potential in empowering women by assisting them to become entrepreneurs. Online businesses can also be seen as a solution to the dilemma faced by women who must manage and balance their career and family life. Ultimately, social media entrepreneurship works well for women in Indonesia due to its unique characteristics that include: mobility and flexibility, social capital gained through social media interactions, the unequal distribution of products in Indonesian cities, the lack of time on the part of customers to visit physical shops and the confidence and satisfaction experienced by women as a result of this enterprise.