Ecoprint batik for woman empowerment

The batik home industry, so far, has experienced a stagnant situation because it has been defeated by batik manufacturers. The existence of eco-print batik innovation will help revive the batik home industry which has been underdeveloped so far. Because eco-print batik innovation will improve the skills of women batik makers. Ecoprint batik is a batik that uses dyes from various types of leaves, flowers, stalks, roots, and tree bark and is made in a manual/handmade process.

Empowerment of women batik makers will also be carried out by providing digital literacy for them, both for product marketing and for other purposes. With digital literacy, it will open a marketing network for women batik craftsmen.

The problem that must be overcome is the sluggishness of the home-based batik industry because the marketing of batik cloth circulating in the community is dominated by screen-printed batik cloth by manufacturers. This affects the motivation of women batik makers because the fabrics they produce cannot compete with factory-made batik products. The pattern of batik cloth produced by woman batik maker needs to be varied with a contemporary style, but with an environmentally friendly production system. They can be trained to make Ecoprint Batik, to make contemporary batik cloth that is environmentally friendly. If it is collaborated with digital literacy, it is hoped that the marketing of the products of these women batik maker will be able to compete with the manufacturer's batik printing products.

At this time, the number of business actors in the batik sector in the province of the Special Region of Yogyakarta is 81,000. There are 320 batik craftsmen in DI Yogyakarta who passed the competency test and received certification (data on October 2017, Antara news agency).

Serving women batik makers in the special province of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. They are household-scale batik makers, who are experiencing a stagnant business condition. They need to be trained to improve their skills on how to produce batik that is contemporary and environmentally friendly. So far, they have received less guidance from the local government for batik skills for contemporary products, as well as a lack of digital economic literacy.

The way we understand their needs is to invite them to discuss to unravel the existing problems. In that discussion, we together with them looked for solutions by increasing their capacity, both their production capacity and marketing capacity using digital techniques.

The challenge dimension we choose is to equip existing workers in India and Indonesia with country-appropriate and culturally-relevant digital literacy skills and vocational training opportunities. The solution offered in our proposal is to improve the skills of women batik makers with training on making eco-print batik and digital literacy trainings. The problem we are dealing with is the existence of a home batik industry which is experiencing a stagnant condition because it is unable to compete with factory batik products. The target population is women batik makers in the province of the Special Region of Yogyakarta. These four things, problems, challenges, solutions and the target population remain interrelated which is cause and effect. Where these linkages can be translated into program implementation that we will do in this project. Based on the flow of these four things, in the end all the challenges and problems regarding the stagnant condition of the batik business will increase economic income for the families of the woman batik makers themselves and participate in preserving culture because batik is the cultural identity of the Indonesian state.

Team Lead for our solution is Saktya Rini Hastuti, as a chairperson of Lembaga Konsumen Yogyakarta (Yogyakarta Consumer Institute). 

One of the unsustainable consumptions is the consumption of clothing or the use of other fabrics. The textile industry is one of the largest contributors of waste in the form of textile waste which is very influential on the environment. In fact, textile waste is ranked as the fourth largest contributor to carbon emissions (carbon emissions). Ecoprint batik products are the right solution for this problem. The sustainability value of the process of utilizing leaf waste and the use of natural dyes has a positive impact on the preservation of nature and the environment.

We know that UNESCO recognizes batik as a world heritage because it meets the criteria, including being rich in symbols and philosophical meanings of the life of the Indonesian people. The history of batik in Indonesia states that in the past, batik coloring used natural colors taken from tree bark, leaves, and fruit. The motifs are used also to describe the natural beauty and ecological richness of Indonesia. We try to bring this knowledge back into something new that is more up-to-date through eco-print batik.

Past and present, the dominance of women in the creation of batik is very significant. So that batik seems to be a 'women's job'. However, they are only limited to the level of workers/labor. They lack knowledge about digital literacy. They don't have a business owner. This is what drives us to strengthen women to be able to be economically empowered and have digital literacy in accordance with the current era.

Increasing digital literacy skills is important for the marketing strategy of Eco-print batik products. Therefore, we provide digital marketing learning through several stages. The first stage is the introduction and optimization of digital e-commerce platforms. The next stage is educating sales content in e-commerce, such as product photo techniques, uploading techniques, and compiling interesting advertising sentences, but messages about sustainable consumption and sustainable production are still conveyed. We will also network with the government and other eco-print makers so that there is a transfer of information, knowledge, and even policies that promote economic prosperity through eco-print batik. In Yogyakarta itself, the local government provides a digital platform that can be used for free, oriented to the seller's profit, but is not yet widely known. The e-commerce digital platform is SiBakul MarketHub, owned by the Cooperatives and Small Medium Enterprises Service Yogyakarta.

The technology for processing leaf waste, which was initially only burned and processed into compost, we introduce a new processing technology with a fermentation technique which is part of the eco-print process. We hope that this can become a behavioral technology where people can continue and continue to do it as they produce waste. 

Activities include:

1. Gender Awareness Training and sustainable production and consumption in the digital age, 
2. Eco-printing business group organizing and management training
3. Eco-printing Batik making training, 
4. Monitoring
5. Introduction to digital economy and digital marketing technique training,
6. Business Analysis Training, 
7. Comparative study of eco-print batik business groups
8. Evaluation

Output include :

1. 100 women of eco-print batik makers in 4 areas in Yogyakarta have awareness as women who are equal, empowered and have a bargaining position in their social environment and in the digital market. They understands consumer rights and producer obligations, 
2. 100 women of eco-print batik makers in 4 areas in Yogyakarta have an understanding of the organization and management business groups 
3. 100 women of eco-print batik makers in 4 areas in Yogyakarta make eco-printing batik, 
4. 100 women of eco-print batik makers in 4 areas in Yogyakarta can use digital marketing tools/applications, 
5. 100 women of eco-print batik makers in 4 areas in Yogyakarta understand and understand business analysis, 
6. 100 women of eco-print batik makers in 4 areas in Yogyakarta networked with other eco-print business groups.

Outcome Include:

1. Growing empowerment of women eco-print batik makers in the digital era, 
2. They have the skills to produce batik that is environmentally friendly and supports sustainable production and consumption, 
3. Growing ability to use digital marketing tools/applications, 
4. Growing ability to run a business that provides benefits, 
5. Growing business group organizations that become a support system so that they have a bargaining position in multi-stakeholder positions.

Impact in one year include The business group has been able to produce and market eco-print batik using digital media

Impact in 5 years include:

1. There is a joint effort in cooperative business entities for women making eco-print batik so that they have economic empowerment. 
2. Having a brand that is able to attract foreign consumers. 
3. They are networked with other business groups and the government.

In the next 1 year we have ways to achieve it include:

1. Ensure that activities for 1 year are in accordance with the plan according to the achievement indicators, 
2. Ensuring that the equipment and materials for activities are sufficient,
3. Connecting business groups with parties that support their businesses such as government, business networks, and consumer networks, batik groups have a role to play in increasing their capacity. 

In the next 5 years we have a way to achieve it include:

1. Forming cooperatives and encouraging them to form associations in the Yogyakarta area, 
2. Provide training that supports the development of their skills and abilities to make a variety of fashion products with eco-print batik materials and market them. 
3. Community assistance on an ongoing basis. 
4. Monitoring and evaluation of each activity include program outputs and outcomes.

We have several indicators include:

Gender awareness training activities:

1. There are products they produce
2. Able to market products through e-commerce
3. There is an increase in income in the first year
4. Formed cooperatives and associations

Batik eco-print making activities:

1. 80% of participants are able to make eco-print batik
2. 25% of participants are able to make fashion and craft products
3. 80% are able to process leaf and flower waste into eco-print materials

Digital Literacy Training Activities:

1. 80% of participants are able to use e-commerce digital devices and applications
2. 80% of participants are able to create sales content on digital e-commerce and social commerce platforms
3. 80% of participants understand the rights and obligations as an online seller

Organizing activities: 

1. 80% of participants take part in group activities

We describe barriers into several sections include:

Culture barriers

1. Education and access to information is still low, 

2. Patriarchal culture that is still rooted in society,

3. Low-income household.

Material Availability Barriers

1. Not all types of fabric can be used to make eco-print batik 

2. Awareness of the use of leaf, flower, and stem waste as eco-print batik materials is still lacking. 

Sale Barriers

1. Lack of ability to use and access digital devices/applications,

2. batik sales are controlled by the batik printing machine industry, 

3. Lack of business networks, government, and consumers. 

We overcome barriers in various ways include:

Cultural Barriers
• Transformation of gender equality through women's empowerment training and continuous mentoring.
• Continuous digital literacy training and assistance

Material Availability Barriers
• Network with cloth sellers is wider
• Training and assistance on the use of leaf, flower, and stem waste as materials for making eco-print batik

Sales Barriers
• Training and mentoring of digital marketing practices
• Expanding network with other business actors, government, and consumers
• Training that encourages innovation in the creation of eco-print batik, so that it is no less competitive with the batik machine industry market.

(1) Manager Program (Full Time)

(1) Assistance Manager Program (Full Time)

(4) Communty Organzier (Full Time)

(1) Finance (Full Time)

(1) Chasier

(1) Admin Staff

(1) Media Staff

(1) Auditor

We always try to invite discussion with the community and find a common solution for every problem that exists. These solutions are then implemented in the form of activities such as the practice of making eco-print batik products, marketing training for eco-print batik (digital literacy), strengthening groups of women craftsmen of eco-print batik, and sustainability of group activities so that the skills that have been mastered can be developed.

This team is held by individuals from various scientific backgrounds and their respective expertise, originating from the basics of agricultural science, law, social and political science, international relations, anthropology, etc. The challenge for woman batik makers here is due to stagnant conditions in the home batik industry because they cannot compete with factory batik products, so there needs to be training and the introduction of new innovations with eco-print batik technology that is more environmentally friendly in terms of waste and raw materials. Strive for training on eco-print batik technology and digital literacy for the marketing of eco-print batik products is certainly very much needed for these batik craftsmen.

We use a feminist leadership approach where this approach emphasizes women's leadership, oriented to change, empowerment, creating creativity, process-oriented, collaboration, encouraging participation at all levels, reflecting on the process, nurturing the environment so that the community can develop, and praising and respecting between communities, open mutually motivating, participatory leadership. We implement these principles in the entire activity process. Activities include:

• Involve target groups in every stage of program implementation
• Encouraging creativity in the creation of eco-print fashion motifs and products
• Sharing opportunities to explore personal skills and information in each activity implementation
• Give appreciation to individuals and groups for their achievements
• The target group is involved in the disbursement of networks that support the development of eco-print batik
• The target group consists of cross-religions, beliefs, and cultures

CI (Consumer International). Our team has been working on sustainable consumption and sharing community program in September - October 2021, we provided assistance to women's groups by providing practical training on growing rhizomatic herbs, processing them into finished products, and marketing products through online media.

This year we are also working with SIGAB Indonesia. We encourage inclusive activities and policies for consumers with disabilities in the e-commerce sector. 

We also work with YKP (Women's Health Foundation) which is engaged in reproductive health issues and encourages the fulfillment of health rights for women in an inclusive manner.

link image: https://drive.google.com/file/...

As Challenge opens up opportunities for empowerment of workers, especially women, through increase innovation that is useful for the future of workers so that economic empowerment can be sustain, YCI eager to apply for this opportunities.   YCI feels that women batik in the area of Yogyakarta have great potential to develop and ultimately be able to improve the economy of their families through product and marketing innovation .

YCI intends to connect batik maker women with entrepreneurs who have already been successful, and universities that have the capacity to research and develop environmentally friendly materials.

To do this YCI needs the support from SOLVE-MIT, which YCI feels has the same vision in terms of human resource development and the use of environmentally friendly products for sustainably ecosystem. Because this future Indonesia India program empowers batik maker women to be able to improve their quality in knowledge and skills in technology and expand marketing networks, which can improve their economy. We really need this to help batik craftsmen to get out of the problems they have faced so far.

In achieving the objectives of this program, we need the support of training in capacity building, marketing network and digital marketing innovation, and grant funds as a source of funding for activities. 

1. Association of Indonesian eco printers: providing technical trainers for making and producing batik eco-prints, being a partner to improve the quality of eco-print products, being a development partner for local batik eco-print craftsmen.

2. Universities: recommendations and research on the development of eco-print production

3. Department of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises: training for packaging, product marketing, digital economy and marketing network 

4. Department of industry and trade:  certified training on eco-print batik production, improvement of marketing competence, marketing network

5. Others Non Government Organization: Consumer network, women entrepreneur network

6. Others eco-print batik entrepreneurs: sharing experiences in dealing with production and marketing barriers, joint activities, joint exhibitions,