DAMRI poised to drive more women to the top
JAKARTA, 1 July 2024 – Indonesia’s largest public bus company DAMRI is empowering women to reach top roles in the competitive transport industry by teaming up with Australian education provider DeakinCo. to kickstart an innovative new leadership program.
Beginning in October 2024 the new program will offer women training and mentoring, initiatives that will open up new management and leadership opportunities, and support women to achieve their full potential. This training program is a realisation from the signed agreement between DAMRI and DeakinCo. in June 2023 to collaborate on the workforce development of DAMRI.
“Promoting women in leadership needs change in all areas of a business, from employee recruitment through retention. DAMRI is leading the way with our first female President Director, and this new partnership demonstrates our continued genuine commitment to supporting women to rise through the ranks and strike a better balance between domestic life and career expectations,” said Setia N Milatia Moemin, Preseident Director, DAMRI.
DeakinCo., which is part of Australia’s Deakin University, specialises in tailored skill building for business, including leadership training for women. DeakinCo. will bring this experience to help DAMRI understand the working environment for women and barriers to their professional development, while enhancing their confidence to lead in a sector traditionally dominated by men.
“We’re excited to work closely with DAMRI to help them increase women’s leadership and drive better business outcomes. Our team of experts will deliver a practical, localised program that builds skills and deep understanding, and will help to transform career opportunities for women,” said Angela Girton, CEO, DeakinCo.
The partnership is being facilitated by Katalis, a commercially focused program established by the Indonesian and Australian governments to support implementation of the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. The activity will provide an example to other Indonesian SOEs of how to increase women’s empowerment and gender equality in their organisations and paves the way for potential collaborations with Australian training institutions.
“More diverse leadership benefits everyone, with better employee retention and more productive workplaces. This new partnership offers a model for other sectors and a wide range of SOEs. We look forward to being part of the change for women in the workplace, and engaging with other SOEs to further promote the importance of women’s leadership and gender equality in trade and investment,” said Paul Bartlett, Director, Katalis.
Up to 40 DAMRI employees who are Senior and Team Leaders will participate in-person in the training under the partnership. With a cascading train-the-trainer (ToT) model, the training alumni will train other DAMRI employees to create wider impact in the organisation. The design of the training will be informed by consultations with local stakeholders, such as Indonesia’s National Disability Commission.
While women make up most students in tertiary education, their labour force participation rate in 2021 was just 53 per cent, well below men’s rate of 80 per cent. The Government of Indonesia is aiming to increase women’s participation to 55 per cent by 2024 and bolster women’s leadership in SOEs to 25 per cent from the current level of 15 per cent.
About Katalis
Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) Economic Cooperation Program Katalis (Katalis) is a unique, five-year (2020-2025) government-backed business development program unlocking the vast potential of economic partnership between Australia and Indonesia. Katalis was established under the IA-CEPA and complements other Australian development programs with a commercially oriented, bilateral approach that prioritises gender equality and social inclusion.
About DAMRI
DAMRI is the Indonesia’s largest state-owned bus operator in Indonesia. The company has been operating since 1943 and provides services such as land transportation including intracity and remote routes across Indonesia. The businesses has diversified to include tourism transport, logistics and international routes to Brunei and Sarawak, Malaysia.
About DeakinCo.
DeakinCo. is an Australian education provider under Deakin University which is one of Australia’s leading universities. DeakinCo. has a long history of working with government, industry and business in Australia and internationally. DeakinCo. offers workplace solutions, including upskill and reskill learning opportunities that drive organisational performance, career progression, and business growth. DeakinCo.’s world-leading Professional Practice credentials are aligned to key national and global industry standards and qualification frameworks.
Information and media contact
Ms Adhi Fitri Dinastiar, Katalis Communications Officer
+62 822 2685 4874 | adhi.dinastiar@iacepa-katalis.org
