An interdisciplinary team of UNS lecturers organized the event. The team was initiated by UNS Vice-Rector for Planning, Cooperation, Internationalization, and Information, Prof. Irwan Trinugroho, S.E., M.Sc., Ph.D. Members include:

• Dr. Erna Dyah Kusumawati, S.H., M.Hum., LL.M. (the Faculty of Law)
• Rachma Indriyani, S.H., LL.M., Ph.D. (the Faculty of Law)
• Dewanti Cahyaningsih, S.E., M.Rech. (the Faculty of Economics and Business)
• Likha Sari Anggreni, S.Sos., M.Soc.Sc. (the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP)
• Monika Sri Yuliarti, S.Sos., M.Si. (the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP)
• Representatives from Aston University, including Professor Hannah Bartlett (Lead Applicant) and Claire Richard

This collaborative initiative is a partnership between Aston University, UK, and UNS, Indonesia. The Gender Equality Program (GEP), funded by the British Council, addresses challenges faced by female university graduates entering the workforce. The program promotes gender equality through training, research, and institutional collaboration, supporting women’s empowerment and creating an inclusive educational environment.

The project integrates economic, cultural, and legal approaches to enhance women’s professional participation. The Matching Fund from Kedaireka under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemenristekdikti) provides additional support.

Research Methodology and Collaboration

The UNS research team employs various methodologies, including interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), and expert consultations. A comprehensive literature review strengthens their analysis. Respondents include students, alumni, lecturers, administrative staff, and the Career Development Centre at UNS. The team also collaborates with universities in five regions with high gender inequality rates. They were Maluku, Central Kalimantan, Jambi, Papua, and Mataram.

Key Outcomes and Future Plans

“As a result of this project, we will publish a report. It will focus on the challenges female students face in employment and entrepreneurship in the short term. Additionally, we will develop educational resources for students and staff, followed by a written publication assessing their impact (medium-term). A dedicated website will also be launched to share these resources with universities in Indonesia and the UK. This will foster ongoing collaboration and best practice sharing,” Dr. Erna said.

Since late 2023, the team has proposed several recommendations. One recommendation is to integrate gender equality topics into university curricula. Others include revitalizing gender equality mainstreaming across academic communities and providing specialized training for graduates entering the job market.

Professor Hannah Bartlett, Lead Applicant from Aston University, expressed her enthusiasm. “I am honored to be part of this seminar. It is a privilege to conduct research alongside the UNS team in the Gender Equality Program. I hope the website we initiated will positively impact students and the wider community,” she said.

The seminar featured guest speaker Rahayu Purwaningsih, Director of Solidaritas Perempuan untuk Kemanusiaan dan Hak Asasi Manusia (SpekHAM) Surakarta. The event attracted 300 attendees, including representatives from Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) and Universitas Jenderal Soedirman. It also included from Universitas Slamet Riyadi, and UHN Sugriwa.

Representing the UNS Rector, Prof. Dr. I Gusti Ayu Ketut Rachmi Handayani, S.H., M.M., delivered a speech. She serves as the Head of the Institute of Research and Community Service (LPPM) UNS. She congratulated the team on their research achievements and successful event organization.

As part of the seminar, the team introduced a research-based website accessible to the public. The Sherises Project website can be visited at https://sherises-project.org.

HUMAS UNS

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When contacted by uns.ac.id, Dr. Erna Dyah Kusumawati, S.H., M.Hum., LL.M., the head of the research team, mentioned that this research program is funded by the British Council.

“For gender equality, especially in Indonesia, funded by the British Council, there are 11 collaborations, and fortunately, UNS is one of them. Each project receives £25,000, so around 480-490 million Indonesian Rupiah,” Dr. Erna explained.

Regarding the research fund, Dr. Erna mentioned that the fund is managed by Aston University and will later be disbursed to the research team in Indonesia.

The Going Global Partnership program is organized to strengthen university collaborations between the UK and other countries.

“This program indeed supports universities worldwide to collaborate towards higher education that is more connected, stronger, fairer, and more inclusive,” Erna said.

This research team has chosen the theme of gender equality partnership with the title ‘Addressing Gender Gap Within Female University Graduates In Entering Industries: An Economic, Cultural, And Legal Approach‘. This title was chosen because of the observed gap between female university graduates and their job opportunities, coupled with the finding that female labor force participation in Indonesia is lower.

“This gap is what we want to investigate. The subjects we will listen to are female lecturers, staff, students, and also users or consumers of female graduates. These users are important to assess the achievements or performance of female graduates from this university in their respective companies,” Dr. Erna explained.

The sustainability of this research or study lies in providing training for female university graduates to prepare them for entering the workforce.

“After that, we will design training programs, whether it’s leadership or gender equality for female university graduates so that they will be better prepared when entering the industry with its various challenges. That’s the basic idea of our proposal,” she added.

HUMAS UNS

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