The celebration of Kartini Day every April 21 is not merely ceremonial, but also serves as a reminder that the struggle to open equal spaces for women must continue, including in the workplace.
Many companies are increasingly realizing that gender equality is not only a matter of fairness, but also contributes to better organizational performance. This commitment is demonstrated by PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk, or BRI, which continues to maintain a balanced composition of male and female employees.
BRI President Director Hery Gunardi stated that the company currently has 36,000 female employees, equivalent to 43 percent of the total 86,000 employees. This composition makes BRI an inclusive and conducive work environment for women to develop and optimize their full potential.
“The presence of women in leadership positions provides a broader perspective in the organization’s decision-making process. This also strengthens the company’s efforts to create a more diverse and inclusive work culture,” said Hery.
Not only in terms of numbers, but the role of women at BRI is also increasingly visible at the job level. Currently, 25.63 percent of BRI’s female employees hold managerial positions, ranging from junior manager to top management levels. To strengthen the capacity of women leaders, BRI also presents the BRILiaN Women Leaders Indonesia (BWLI) program. This program is designed as a platform for leadership development for women within the company.
Through BWLI, female employees receive intensive leadership skill development, expand their professional networks, and enhance employee branding to become future leaders, both inside and outside the company.
Hery added that this commitment is also reflected in the presence of employees with disabilities in the company. “Placing women with disabilities in the work environment reflects the company’s commitment to opening fair access to job opportunities for all parties. Thus, women, including those with disabilities, still have equal opportunities to develop, contribute, and achieve economic independence,” said Hery.
The spirit of equality is not only realized by BRI in the internal work environment but is also extended through various community empowerment programs, one of which is the Ultra Micro Ecosystem.
This initiative, launched together with PT Permodalan Nasional Madani (PNM) and PT Pegadaian, is a tangible manifestation of BRI’s commitment to opening wider access for women to develop economically.
To date, the Ultra Micro holding has reached around 23 million customers spread across various regions in Indonesia. Through this ecosystem, women not only gain access to financing but also business mentoring, financial literacy, and access to various integrated financial services that encourage them to move up.
“With this holistic approach, BRI strives to ensure that women have equal opportunities to increase business capacity, strengthen family economic resilience, and contribute more broadly in driving inclusive and sustainable people-based economic growth,” concluded Hery.
