Life Skills-Based Sewing Training to Economic Agency: Women’s Empowerment in Non-Formal Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58524/smartsoc.v6i3.1336Keywords:
economic empowerment, life skills education, sewing training, vocational education, women empowermentAbstract
Women’s economic empowerment extends beyond the acquisition of vocational skills. It also depends on how these skills are translated into economic opportunities, social networks, and greater economic agency. Although vocational training has been widely recognized as a strategy for improving women’s economic participation, existing studies have largely emphasized measurable outcomes such as employment and income, providing limited explanation of how vocational skills are transformed into everyday livelihood strategies. This study explores how female alumni of LKP Modes Muria transform life skills-based sewing training into home-based economic activities and economic agency. Using a qualitative case study design, the study involved five female alumni who had completed the sewing training program and were actively engaged in sewing-related economic activities. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation and analyzed using data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. The findings reveal an empowerment pathway involving skill acquisition, business initiation, income generation, business development and resilience, and increased economic agency. Participants reported monthly incomes ranging from IDR 2,000,000 to IDR 5,000,000, which contributed to household expenses, children’s education, savings, business reinvestment, and greater participation in household financial decision-making. The findings further show that the transformation of vocational skills into economic activities was shaped by the interaction of technical competencies, individual initiative, local customer networks, and institutional support. In particular, LKP Modes Muria functioned not only as a training provider but also as a network broker that facilitated access to customers, economic opportunities, and post-training support. However, participants continued to face fluctuating demand, market competition, and difficulties in balancing economic activities with domestic responsibilities. This study contributes a process-oriented understanding of women’s economic empowerment by demonstrating how vocational skills are translated into economic agency through the interaction of individual capabilities, informal networks, and institutional brokering within a non-formal education context.
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