International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET) Volume 9, Issue 12, December 2018, pp. 167–176, Article ID: IJMET_09_12_020 Available online at http://www.iaeme.com/Home/issue/IJMET?Volume=9&Issue=12 ISSN Print: 0976-6340 and ISSN Online: 0976-6359 © IAEME Publication Scopus Indexed PARTICIPATION IN EMPOWERING WOMEN AND THE POTENTIAL OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY ECONOMY, A CASE STUDY IN MERAUKE REGENCY, PAPUA PROVINCE Alexander Phuk Tjilen, Fitriani, Hesty Tambayong, Albertus Yosep Maturan Faculty of Social and Politic Science, Musamus University, Merauke, Indonesia Samel Watina Ririhena, Fenty Y. Manuhutu Faculty of Economy and Business, Universitas Musamus, Merauke, Indonesia ABSTRACT The research objective is to explain the empowerment of women's participation and the development of the economic potential of local communities in Merauke Regency. The focus of this study is how participation and economic potential can be developed. The research method used in this study is descriptive qualitative. The research was carried out through observation, literature, data collection, interviews with community leaders, religious leaders, eucalyptus oil refiners, officials of relevant agencies namely the Forestry and Plantation Service of Merauke Regency, Merauke Regency Culture and Tourism Agency and held discussions with several stake holders. The results of the study show that women's participation and empowerment programs in Merauke district have not yet developed. Regional potential that can be developed by utilizing women's participation is the development of superior culture-based potential, tourism villages, non-timber forest products, ecology and agriculture. Keywords: Empowerment, participation, local women, cultural contributions, village tourism Cite this Article: Alexander Phuk Tjilen, Fitriani, Hesty Tambayong, Albertus Yosep Maturan, Samel Watina Ririhena and Fenty Y. Manuhutu, Participation in Empowering Women and the Potential of the Local Community Economy, a Case Study in Merauke Regency, Papua Province, International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology, 9(12), 2018, pp. 167–176. http://www.iaeme.com/Home/issue/IJMET?Volume=9&Issue=12 1. INTRODUCTION Women's participation in the economic field is one indicator of increasing welfare, with high participation rates that will result in economic improvement in a region. Women's potential to be developed has the same position as men, by talking about the economy of course talking about http://www.iaeme.com/Home/journal/IJMET 167 [email protected] Alexander Phuk Tjilen, Fitriani, Hesty Tambayong, Albertus Yosep Maturan, Samel Watina Ririhena and Fenty Y. Manuhutu women too. Where women are agents of development whose role is greatly needed in economic development. At present women are educated people, have the same rights as men, are free to work other than as housewives and generate independent income, this is a sign that household welfare is increasing. The existence of programs from the Central Government in development involving the role of women and children is carried out holistically, integratedly, and in order to reduce economic inequality. The Government's program for women's participation can improve the economy where women are more than men, and women can do it as part of efforts to improve women's welfare, so empowerment of women is needed by holding various training and guidance activities at Balai in order to create themselves. hanging between women. In empowering women, they can implement various women's empowerment programs, both in the fields of economics, health, education and others. That, helps women to develop their potential and encourage economic and social change in society. In 2016 there were still gaps in the achievement of development between men and women, this can be seen from the Indonesian Gender Development Index (IPG) which is still at 92.74. Even though it is above the world average but still the acceleration of development for Indonesian women is still slower than men. (Ministry of PP and PA, 2016). The Gender Empowerment Index (IDG) is an illustration of women's active participation in politics, economics and decision-making and the control of economic resources, even though the trend continues to rise but from the composite indicator the value is stagnant. Various forms of obstacles that minimize opportunities to gain access to development for women must be removed, so that they can benefit from the opportunities that exist, and participate in productive activities that can improve the quality of life. While in the Indonesian Human Development perspective as measured by the Human Development Index (HDI) the comparison of life expectancy, literacy, education and living standards for all countries around the world. HDI is used to classify whether a country is a developed, developing or backward country and also to measure the influence of economic policy on quality of life. The results of the State of Indonesia's achievements according to the 2016 Central Bureau of Statistics state that it is at the middle level of the achievement of HDI 70.18 which means that the status of human development in Indonesia has increased from "moderate" to "high" The results of empowering women who are lower than men are a common thing. Although efforts to empower women have experienced significant developments (Betaubun et al., 2018a, 2018b; Fitriani et al., 2018; Kalalo, 2018; Kore et al., 2018; Lamalewa et al., 2018a, 2018b; Maturbongs et al, 2017), they have not yet received maximum results, especially in the fields of politics and economics. Some of the challenges faced include because there is still a dichotomy between public and private space that limits women's roles. Women do not have financial competitiveness, women have shortcomings in economic power as well as social conditions, so they have difficulty entering the political realm which is dominated by men (UNDP, 2010). Gender inequality has a negative impact on various aspects of development, ranging from economic, social to defense and security. Some international institutions see gender inequality as having strong links with poverty, inequalities in access to education, health services, and access to finance. Women's activities in the family become limited in the process of socialization and reproduction, but also carry out economic activities together with men outside the household. Women in helping their husbands work, plunge into a living even though they have to keep on doing housework. http://www.iaeme.com/Home/journal/IJMET 168 [email protected] Participation in Empowering Women and the Potential of the Local Community Economy, a Case Study in Merauke Regency, Papua Province This shows the great responsibility and role of ethnic Papuan women in improving family welfare, but in general there are still various obstacles which among others are caused by the condition of women still lacking in obtaining opportunities to participate in agricultural development. Of the total workforce, women generally work in the informal sector with the largest percentage in the agriculture, plantation and fisheries sector by 28 percent, followed by large and small-scale trade sectors at 23 percent. 2016 Sakernas data shows that even though women have the same level of education, the wages they receive are lower than men. In general, women working in the informal sector still face various obstacles, including limited access to financial and capital resources, access to information about products or markets, and access to skills training and product capacity improvement. Even though the role of women in economic development has had a big impact. Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in 2016, the Gender Empowerment Index for Papua Province reached 63.69 while for Merauke district it reached 60, 88, this result is quite satisfactory when compared with the average achievement results of all Iindonesia 70.83. The development of the number of micro and small business actors in Indonesia, almost 70 percent managed by women cannot be denied that the development policies that have been implemented since 2016 have touched more than 3000 women's home industries in 21 districts. The development of Indonesia's Gender Development Index (GDI) data is 92.6 while the world GDI on average is 93.8. With this amount, Indonesia ranks sixth in all ASEAN countries. The government uses the Gender Empowerment Index (GEI) to evaluate gender empowerment programs, with an average Indonesian GEI during 2010-2016 of 70.10. Although the Gender Empowerment Index from 2010 to 2016 continues to increase every year, the fact that there are gaps between men and women in Indonesia still exists. They have received facilities, such as technical training and production equipment assistance. As a result of the evaluation conducted in 2018, a number of female perpetrators claimed to have benefited a lot because they could increase income to help the family economy. (Kemenpppa, 2018) Empowerment and poor people to participate in, negotiate with, influence, control, and hold institutions that affect their lives (Narayan, 2002). The same thing happened to the Papua provincial government that by accepting facilities for the involvement of ethnic Papuan women to show their active participation in domestic work and to do jobs that are needed for the welfare of their families or households and communities (Palit, 2017) . The involvement of women in the empowerment of ethnic Papuans begins with a situation