Claudia Seise

Women's Micro-businesses in Indonesia: the Situation of Female Owned Micro-businesses in Bantul, Java Claudia Seise

Two thirds of the Indonesian economic performance is produced by the informal sector. Micro-businesses as a part of the informal sector play a vital role in the local and national economy. Women, as owners of micro-businesses contribute to the Indonesian economy and the family's income. But how does society and tradition view working women and how do women cope with being a micro-entrepreneur? Claudia Seise discusses the role of working women in society, including traditional values and the importance of micro-businesses for the family income. In the second part of the book the focus shifts to a more topical problem, consequences of the 2006 earthquake for female owned micro-businesses. Throughout the book, voices of Indonesian women are used to illustrate the different issues, which give the reader the chance to obtain a close insight into women's life in Bantul, Java. The book is aimed at academics of Southeast Asian studies and other regional studies. It is also aimed at specialists in the gender and economic field. Additionally this book is also of interest for the general reader who wants to obtain an insight into Indonesian society.