Poso — A 2026 study by Nuraisyah, Mohammad Iqbal Maulana, Pusparani Sahran Putri, Ahmad Fauzan, and Sitti Chaeriah Ahsan from Universitas Tadulako reports that the Women’s Capacity Building Program designed to strengthen women’s participation in organizations in Poso Regency, Central Sulawesi, has not yet achieved its intended impact. Published in the International Journal of Scientific Multidisciplinary Research, the research highlights structural barriers that continue to limit women’s access to leadership roles and decision-making spaces at the local level.
The findings matter for Indonesia’s broader gender mainstreaming agenda because they reveal a persistent gap between national policy commitments and implementation outcomes in regional governance. Despite regulatory support for gender equality, women’s participation in formal organizations in Poso remains significantly below national expectations.
Women’s representation in formal organizations in the regency stands at around 15 percent, while only about 10 percent hold strategic decision-making roles. These figures indicate that institutional empowerment programs have not yet translated into meaningful leadership opportunities for women in the region.
Policy commitments exist, but local implementation lags
Indonesia has established multiple national frameworks supporting gender equality, including gender mainstreaming policies and women’s empowerment programs coordinated through regional Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Offices. These initiatives are intended to improve women’s access to education, leadership training, economic participation, and institutional representation.
However, the research conducted by the Universitas Tadulako team shows that local implementation in Poso still faces systemic constraints. Cultural norms, limited institutional coordination, and insufficient training access continue to shape women’s participation patterns.
As a result, women remain underrepresented in organizational leadership despite long-standing policy commitments at the national level.
Qualitative field research reveals implementation barriers
The researchers from Universitas Tadulako used a qualitative research design to assess how the program operates in practice. Data were collected through field observations, interviews with stakeholders, and analysis of administrative documents related to women’s empowerment initiatives in Poso Regency.
The study applied a public policy implementation framework developed by George C. Edwards III. This approach evaluates four key factors affecting program success: communication, resources, implementation commitment, and bureaucratic structure.
Using this framework allowed the researchers to identify where policy intentions diverge from operational realities.
Coordination gaps weaken program delivery
One of the main findings concerns weak coordination between government agencies responsible for women’s empowerment programs. The Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Office often implemented activities without sustained collaboration with planning agencies, sectoral departments, or civil society organizations.
Limited outreach also reduced awareness among women’s organizations about available training opportunities. As a result, participation rates remained low even when programs were formally available.
The study shows that effective communication between institutions is essential for translating national gender policies into local action.
Budget limitations and education gaps affect outcomes
Financial constraints remain a central obstacle to program effectiveness. Training sessions in leadership and organizational management were sometimes merged into shorter activities due to limited funding, reducing their impact.
Educational background also shaped participation outcomes. Many women involved in local organizations had only lower-secondary education, which limited their access to advanced leadership training and administrative roles.
According to the researchers from Universitas Tadulako, strengthening foundational organizational literacy is necessary before more specialized leadership programs can succeed.
Institutional commitment remains uneven
The study also identified inconsistent commitment among program implementers. Administrative staff rotations that did not consider expertise in gender policy disrupted program continuity and reduced institutional learning.
In several cases, empowerment initiatives were not treated as priority development programs at the local level. This reduced the effectiveness of training activities and slowed progress toward stronger female representation in organizations.
The researchers note that stable leadership and gender-sensitive administrative planning are essential for long-term program success.
Lack of technical guidelines limits evaluation
Another major challenge involves the absence of locally adapted technical guidelines for implementing women’s capacity-building programs. Activities were carried out based primarily on national regulations without detailed operational procedures tailored to local needs.
This situation made it difficult to measure outcomes consistently or evaluate program effectiveness across institutions.
The study indicates that clearer implementation standards could significantly improve coordination, accountability, and monitoring of empowerment initiatives.
Cultural factors continue to shape participation patterns
Beyond institutional barriers, the research highlights the continued influence of patriarchal social norms in shaping women’s organizational participation in Poso Regency.
Gender issues are not always prioritized in local decision-making processes, which limits opportunities for women to enter leadership structures. These social dynamics interact with administrative challenges, creating multiple layers of constraints on women’s empowerment efforts.
Nuraisyah and colleagues from Universitas Tadulako emphasize that policy reforms alone cannot achieve gender equality without parallel cultural change at the community level.
Implications for regional gender policy implementation
The findings provide important guidance for policymakers seeking to strengthen women’s participation in governance and civil society organizations across Indonesia.
Improved inter-agency coordination, dedicated training budgets, gender-sensitive staffing decisions, and locally adapted implementation procedures could significantly enhance the effectiveness of empowerment programs.
According to Nuraisyah and the Universitas Tadulako research team, strengthening institutional capacity and addressing cultural barriers simultaneously is essential for increasing women’s leadership participation in regional development processes.
Their analysis shows that women’s organizational capacity building plays a critical role in ensuring inclusive governance and sustainable community development.
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