Sustainable Development Goals

Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) stands at the forefront of promoting gender equality and encouraging diversity in academic fields. Recognizing the importance of empowering women in subjects traditionally underrepresented, ITS has undertaken significant initiatives to encourage applications from women actively. ITS has been instrumental in spearheading regional and national campaigns through its extensive university outreach programs and collaborative efforts with other universities, community groups, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). These efforts are not merely about boosting the number of female applicants but are integral to creating an inclusive educational environment where everyone, regardless of gender, has equal opportunities to pursue their academic interests and contribute meaningfully to society. Through these initiatives, ITS is not only breaking down gender barriers but also shaping a future where women are empowered to excel in diverse and underrepresented subjects, making significant strides in various fields of study.

The following are news related to ITS’ role in encouraging applications by women in subjects where they are underrepresented.

Taking place Monday (28/11), in Room IE-109 in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Systems, Rafidah started the session by explaining the various impacts that occurred due to the pandemic that hit the world. These impacts occur in various sectors, including climate change, health, education, nutritional deficits, and economic inequality. This negative impact has also hampered the development of the SDGs.

Therefore, the woman wearing glasses believes that the existence of gender equality can help overcome the problems that occur through eliminating discrimination against women. Furthermore, this point also supports women to have equal rights in the world of education, as well as responding to the challenge that women also have equal opportunities to lead.

However, looking at the current conditions, the doctor from Malaysia said that there are still many gaps between genders. For example, there is much stigma regarding specific jobs where men are considered more capable of doing them. This condition means that women have little opportunity to get decent work.

In fact, according to him, having equal opportunities for women in various aspects will help economic development. In the tertiary sector, Rafidah believes that the stigma of gender inequality is much better than in society. “Just like men, women also have great potential in developing global progress,” emphasized Rafidah.

The woman, who is also active in several United Nations (UN) Women activities, added that achieving the UN goals on the fifth SDGs can support other SDGs points. For example, SDGs 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDGs 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, SDGs 10 Reducing Inequalities,
and SDGs 11 Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements.

At the end of the session, Rafidah stated:
His appreciation goes to ITS for creating activities to support it
SDGs, especially the fifth point regarding gender equality. He said that this socialization was important so that students could eliminate the issue of gender inequality around them. “The existence of gender equality can help the UN to realize other SDGs programs in the future immediately,” he concluded. (*)

Reporter: Mifda Khoirotul Azma
Editor: Raisa Zahra Fadila

Department of Business Management (MB) Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) MB ITS held a training to support the creation of skilled female entrepreneurs. This activity, which collaborates with the School of Business at Monash University Malaysia, aims to encourage the economic progress of women entrepreneurs.

Head of the Entrepreneurship and Small Medium Enterprise Development Laboratory, Ni Gusti Made Rai SPsi MPsi Psychologist, revealed that considering the dominance of male entrepreneurs in society, this is a challenge for female entrepreneurs. “So women need support in starting their businesses,” he explained.

Rai explained that the Business Scale-Up Training for Women Entrepreneurs activity provided opportunities for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to develop their businesses. This training contains participants with various business backgrounds. So they can exchange experiences to discuss ways to deal with business problems.

Apart from training, there is assistance for MSMEs through the Talent Scouting Academy (TSA) program, where business actors are accompanied directly by MB ITS students and other universities to digitalize marketing and branding. “The hope is that MSMEs will become better known and understand marketing digitalization,” concluded Rai.

On this occasion, participants were provided with digital marketing material by consumer behavior research lecturer Nabila Silmina Hakim ST MBA. He directed business people to use “Google My Business” as a marketing platform.

Apart from that, Nabila also explained the importance of understanding customer psychology. One of them is forming interactions with consumers. This can be done by replying to customer testimonials so that they feel satisfied. Because customers can feel their voices are heard and ultimately recommend the product to their friends.

After presenting the material, women entrepreneurs were allowed to discuss their problems and business developments. One of the participants, Lustian Ratri, shared his experience when he faced a decline in motivation as a business actor. “When I was in that phase, I invited fellow business people to discuss and join the entrepreneur community,” said the ITS alumni woman. (*)

Reporter: Silvita Pramadani
Editor: Najla Lailin Nikmah

Coinciding with Kartini Day 2022, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) continues to eradicate the problem of gender inequality and encourage the development of women’s contributions in the institutional realm.

Dr Ir Sri Gunani Partiwi MT agrees that women today should have extensive knowledge in various aspects of life, both in academic and community environments. The Director of the ITS Directorate of Human Resources and Organizations (DSDMO) added that to create knowledgeable women, support from the surrounding environment is needed. “Women need support from various parties, including the institutions where they work,” he said.

ITS indeed strives to create an atmosphere that supports the entire academic community. A form of support that also has a vision of eradicating gender gaps is through providing personal and organizational development assistance that DSDMO has mapped. “In the past few periods, we have tried our best to provide equal space between genders,” said the woman who is familiarly called Sri.

This equal space between genders is reflected in the female lecturers and staff ratio, which is around one to two, with men as of 2022. Not only that, the role of women at ITS in the development of innovation and research is also increasingly being intensified. This ITS Systems and Industrial Engineering Department lecturer believes that women’s perseverance, patience, and multitasking abilities are extraordinary strengths in the research process.

ITS’s support for female researchers is proven by its trust in Sri Fatmawati SSi MSc PhD to be the leader of the Indonesian Academy of Young Scientists (ALMI) on a national scale for the 2020-2022 period. Not only that, together with ITS, this Chemistry Department lecturer also succeeded in initiating the Organization for Women in Science in the Developing World (OWSD) Indonesia National Chapter, an organization for women scientists who have an extraordinary vision for the advancement of science in Indonesia.

There is still room for improvement, and ITS will continue to strive to provide space for female researchers to explore themselves. Sri hopes that ITS will guarantee equal rights and opportunities, which will not just be a slogan. Apart from that, he hopes Indonesian women will become a light that never fades. “Stay enthusiastic about moving forward, especially during industrial transformation in Indonesia as a milestone in the revival of science,” he hoped.

Finally, Sri emphasized that it is hoped that gender equality will not just be a right but a necessary prerequisite for sustainable development in terms of development. If women and men have equal opportunities, capacities, and voices, gender equality will be achieved. (*)

Reporter: Fauzan Fakhrizal Azmi
Editor: Gita Rama Mahardhika

L’Oréal and UNESCO collaborated with the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) to organize the For Women in Science (FWIS) program to support talented females researchers in the field of science. To that end, FWIS held socialization for female researchers, including those in the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), as well as a talk show titled Stop the Drop: The Struggle and Potential of Indonesian Women Researchers in STEM at the ITS Research Center Building, Thursday (16/6).

President of OWSD Indonesia, Dr. Sri Fatmawati M Sc, said ITS, as a program house institution, also cooperates in launching OWSD efforts by launching various programs. Among them are science series programs, internal and external events, fun races, exhibitions of works, and making books together. “This is done to create an ecosystem of research access for women,” said the ITS Chemistry Department lecturer.

Furthermore, the woman familiarly called Fatma explained that female scientists have started leading innovative research worldwide. But despite their remarkable findings, women represent only 33.3 percent of researchers globally, and their work rarely gets the recognition it deserves. “Only 3 percent of the Nobel prizes for science have ever been awarded to women,” she said concernedly.

Meanwhile, the Daily Chairperson of the Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO (KNIU), Dr. Itje Chodidjah MA, said it was necessary to foster the spirit of female researchers in achieving national and international achievements. “The most important thing in research is its use for people’s lives and the environment, and aims to improve the welfare of the community,” she reminded.

Furthermore, Itje explained that the FWIS program was first held globally by L’Oréal and UNESCO in 1998 and launched nationally in Indonesia in 2004. For 18 years of running this program in Indonesia, FWIS has provided awards and funding for scientific research to 63 young Indonesian female researchers. Five of them have succeeded in making the nation proud by winning the L’Oréal UNESCO For Women In Science award in the international arena.

The L’Oréal Foundation and UNESCO have worked together for more than 20 years to help empower more women researchers. This is to achieve scientific excellence and participate equally in solving the significant challenges facing humanity.

To date, L’Oréal has awarded more than 100 winners, five of whom have won Nobel prizes. “Working in the Physical Sciences, Formal Sciences, and Life Sciences on five different continents, these leading women researchers are helping to change the world through their discoveries and are also role models for the younger generation of female researchers who want to pursue their scientific careers,” said Itje.

Every year, according to Itje, the L’Oréal-UNESCO FWIS program supports more than 250 talented young women researchers. Through 52 regional and national programs, the L’Oréal Foundation and UNESCO support at essential periods in their careers, during theses or postdoctoral studies.