The Role of Women Based on Local Wisdom in Improving Family Welfare through MSME Empowerment in Aceh Besar Regency

Abstract

Economic empowerment activities for women have contributed to the achievement of gender equality at the family and village levels. Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are businesses classified based on their scale of operation, which is determined by factors such as asset value, annual revenue, and number of employees. MSMEs play a crucial role in economic development by creating employment opportunities, promoting entrepreneurship, and supporting local and national economies. Women-MSME actors are not yet aware of the importance of Islamic values in business. The researchers went directly to informants who were women MSME entrepreneurs in Aceh Besar Regency. However, many MSMEs led by women have survived and continue to operate because they are able to adapt to online marketing, changing the type of business, and learning better Islamic financial management. The objectives of this study are to (a) identify the empowerment of women MSME actors; (b) test the concept of women MSME actors' empowerment based on Islamic values and local wisdom in realizing family welfare. This study uses a structured interview as the instruments in collecting the data. This method was used to record the experiences of rural MSMEs led by women. The results of the study show that highly educated rural women contribute more to increasing family income and reducing poverty, while women with low education contribute less to their families and poverty reduction.

Keywords: MSMEs, Women MSMEs, Family welfare.