By: Holly Lard Krueger, Lead Trade and GESI Adviser, Katalis  

The UN Women’s International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025 theme, "For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment," resonates deeply with the goals of gender-responsive trade and economic development. To explore what this theme means in practice, we spoke with four women business leaders about their experiences and perspectives on equality, empowerment, and the role of women in shaping global markets.

As business leaders, suppliers, employees, consumers, and advocates, women play diverse and essential roles in international trade. They are not only key drivers of economic growth but also central to defining what it means to create a more equitable and empowering world.

“In my work, equality means having the same chance to lead, to contribute, to grow without bias.”
— Kanya Sjahrir, CEO, BIRU

 “My work empowers me by constantly challenging me to grow technically, professionally, and personally. I hope that I can empower others, especially women, by showing that they belong in this space too—ambition has no limits.”
— Dini Natalita, Project Lead, Fortescue

From running enterprises to driving policy change, women’s contributions to trade span every level of the economy. As business leaders, they expand industries and create jobs. As suppliers and employees, they strengthen global value chains. As consumers and advocates, they shape demand and push for fair, inclusive trade policies that benefit entire communities.

“For us, equality is not a mission—it’s something we pursue every day. It’s heartwarming to see women start their first-ever jobs with us, gain financial independence, and have a greater voice in their families. Seeing them thrive and make decisions that bring their families to a better place is incredibly rewarding.”
— Swasti Adicita Karim, Co-founder & CMO, Java Fresh

“Equality, to me, is about equal rights, opportunities, and appreciation. It’s not just about obtaining the same rights but also about creating opportunities to empower each other.” — Marthella Sirait, CEO, KONEKIN

These voices highlight the essential role women play in trade, not just as participants but as changemakers, reshaping markets and economies through their leadership, entrepreneurship, and advocacy. However, despite their contributions, women remain underrepresented in many areas of international trade. Structural barriers continue to limit their access to global markets, investment, and leadership opportunities.

As part of our conversation, we recorded a short video interview where these business leaders shared brief reflections on what "Rights. Equality. Empowerment." means to them. While their insights provide a snapshot of the broader challenges and opportunities for women in trade, a deeper look at their roles in international trade reveals persistent barriers that must be addressed to achieve real progress.

To better understand these challenges and the pathways to greater inclusion it is essential to examine the different roles women occupy in trade and the systemic barriers they face in each.

Women entrepreneurs: Approximately 15% of women-led businesses in low- and middle-income countries engage in exporting, despite the fact that women own about one-third of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) globally.  In Indonesia women are even more active running, with 64% MSMEs led by women (ILO), yet are as underrepresented in global trade as their peers.

This underrepresentation in international trade is influenced by several factors. Women entrepreneurs often operate in sectors (or parts of the sector) which are less integrated into global value chains. Additionally, their businesses tend to be smaller in scale and may lack access, particularly to finance, networks and information, necessary to navigate complex export procedures. Further, women-owned businesses remain underrepresented in corporate and government procurement, securing only a fraction of global supplier contracts.

Women suppliers: Women play a critical role as suppliers in international trade, particularly in sectors such as agriculture, textiles, and handicrafts, and this holds true for Indonesia where they contribute significantly to global value chains.

Strengthening women’s role as suppliers for international trade requires inclusive sourcing policies, better access to assets including finance and capacity-building programs, and efforts to integrate women-led businesses into multinational supply networks.

Women as employees: Women make up a significant share of the workforce in businesses engaged in international trade, particularly in export-oriented industries such as textiles, agriculture, electronics, and services. In many low and middle-income countries including Indonesia, women represent a substantial portion of employees in the agriculture, manufacturing and tourism sectors that supply global markets.

However, despite their vital contributions, women in trade-related employment often face poor working conditions, lower wages than their male counterparts, and limited opportunities for career advancement. Gender-responsive labour policies, enforcement of equal pay standards, and access to skills training and career advancement programs are crucial for ensuring that women in trade-related employment can fully benefit from global economic opportunities.

Consumers: Women are powerful consumers in international trade, driving demand across a wide range of industries, from food and textiles to technology and financial services. Globally, women control an estimated 70–80% of household purchasing decisions, influencing both domestic and international markets.

In Indonesia, women play a pivotal role as household financial managers, overseeing budgeting, expenditure, and savings decisions. A survey by Oxford Policy Management revealed that 61% of women independently manage household finances in Indonesia, compared to only 24% of men. Additionally, more than half of the men surveyed consult their wives on household management decisions, while less than a third of women consult their husbands. This dynamic underscores the central role women occupy in financial decision-making within Indonesian households.

Women’s consumer choices shape global supply chains, pushing companies to adapt products, marketing strategies, and business models to meet their needs. However, despite their economic influence, women often face barriers such as the "pink tax"—higher prices for products marketed to women—and limited access to financial tools that could enhance their purchasing power.

Additionally, women in low- and middle-income countries, like Indonesia, often have restricted access to global markets due to digital and financial exclusion. Addressing these disparities through inclusive trade policies, gender-responsive marketing, and better access to financial services can amplify women's role as consumers, ensuring that their preferences drive more equitable and sustainable global trade practices.

Rights advocates: Women play a vital role as advocates for more inclusive and equitable trade policies, pushing for systemic changes that benefit not only women but people with disability, other marginalized groups, and entire economies. Across the world and in Indonesia, women-led organizations, trade unions, and advocacy groups work to ensure that international trade agreements and policies consider gender equality, fair labour practices, and social protections. For instance, women’s advocacy efforts have influenced global initiatives such as gender clauses in trade agreements and the promotion of supplier diversity in corporate procurement. In multilateral forums like the World Trade Organization (WTO) and regional trade blocs, women’s rights advocates have successfully pushed for greater inclusion of gender perspectives in trade discussions, leading to commitments toward gender-responsive trade policies. Their efforts also extend to consumer advocacy, where they champion ethical and sustainable trade practices, ensuring that supply chains support fair wages and labour rights for women workers. Strengthening women’s voices in trade policy and decision-making processes is crucial to creating a more just and inclusive global trade system that benefits all.

Women play essential roles in international trade as business leaders/entrepreneurs, suppliers, employees, consumers, and advocates, shaping economic growth and policy in Indonesia and beyond. Despite their significant contributions, women face persistent barriers that limit their full participation in the global economy. Limited access to finance, markets, and procurement opportunities constrains women-led businesses, while gender pay gaps, poor working conditions, financial exclusion, unpaid care responsibilities, and discriminatory trade policies further restrict their economic potential.

Addressing these systemic challenges through gender-responsive trade policies, inclusive financial services, equitable labour practices, and measures to reduce unpaid care responsibilities will enable women to fully benefit from and shape international trade, fostering broader economic and social development. In line with the UN Women’s International Women’s Day 2025 theme, "For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment," these efforts are essential to ensuring that trade becomes a vehicle for advancing gender equality, amplifying women’s economic contributions, and creating a more inclusive global economy.