Feminization of Poverty Program (PFK) and the Empowerment of Women Heads-of-Household in East Java, Indonesia

Severe conditions of poverty have been found in households headed by women in East Java Province, Indonesia. In response to this, the Provincial Government of East Java initiated an innovative program called Jalin Matra (Jalan Lain Menuju Mandiri dan Sejahtera or Another Way Towards Sustenance and Welfare) in which one of the programs is Program Feminisasi Kemiskinan (PFK). This paper is based on a research that is concerned with the implementation of PFK in the regions of Trenggalek and Lamongan, East Java, Indonesia, especially in the village level. It is especially focused on the impacts of the program implementation on the empowerment of the beneficiaries, namely, women household heads, referred to as ‘Kepala Rumah Tangga Perempuan (KRTP)’. The target of the empowerment of women household heads in the program is predominantly focused on developing social entrepreneurship, shown by the increase of micro and small enterprises owned by the women household heads