Coming from an underprivileged family, it was a miracle that I could earn my bachelor’s degree in Economics.
Thanks to my beloved parents, who never stopped supporting my pursuit of higher education despite the prevailing stereotype that women do not need to pursue it.
I am grateful that I found ways to overcome financial struggles by establishing and running tutoring classes for elementary school students during university, which not only financed my education but also helped me develop leadership and teaching skills.
I also received a government scholarship based on both financial need and academic performance.
Although working in finance for nearly five years had been rewarding, I lacked time to develop and evolve.
That was when I took a leap and became a digital entrepreneur by establishing my own blog, following my passion for writing, and getting involved in digital marketing.
What I once thought might be a mistake has turned out to be one of my most fulfilling decisions. It allowed me to keep learning, collaborate with people from different backgrounds, and even handle professional projects, issuing invoices under my blog’s name.
A simple question that changed my perspective
These worthwhile experiences made reflect when a young relative, whose father is an ojek online driver, approached me and asked whether I would like to teach her English.
She aspired to improve her English to prepare for better educational and career opportunities.
Her initiative really got me thinking about how not all girls and women in Indonesia have the same opportunities to grow and thrive as I did.
There are many girls like her who are genuinely eager to succeed but lack privilege, which is why I welcomed her request and allowed her to bring along friends who also wanted to learn.
At the same time, I began to see how these personal encounters reflect broader issues. Recent research by UN Women, “Women and Future Jobs,” highlights that emerging technologies such as AI risk widening the gender gap in the workforce.
The report notes that women are more likely to face job displacement if digital skills inequalities persist, which added to my uneasiness.
This concern became more than a statistic when one of my acquaintances, who is struggling to secure a job, asked me how to create a proper CV and succeed in interviews.
It struck me that many women lack access to digital skills and to basic career-readiness support.
The dream behind Perempuan Belajar
Recognizing this challenge eventually inspired me to envision Perempuan Belajar (She Learns), an idea that has stayed with me ever since.
A platform I hope to build one day to empower women through digital skills and lifelong learning.
For a long time, I wondered whether that meant I had failed to act on an idea I deeply believed in.
Gradually, however, I realized something important. Before helping others navigate the future of work, I also needed to continue learning myself.
As a result, Perempuan Belajar remains a dream that I have not yet brought to life.
Rather than rushing to launch it, I chose to focus on equipping myself with the knowledge and skills that will make the initiative more impactful when the time comes.
Over the past few years, I have been dedicating much of my time to learning data analytics, including SQL, Python, and data visualization.
As technology continues to reshape industries, I believe these skills will not only help me grow professionally but also enable me to contribute more meaningfully to others in the future.
Sometimes, pursuing one dream requires temporarily prioritizing another.
I no longer see this as abandoning my original vision. Instead, I see it as preparing a stronger foundation for it.
If Perempuan Belajar ever becomes a reality, I want it to offer more than good intentions by providing practical and relevant information that genuinely helps women adapt to an increasingly digital world.
To do that, I must first become a lifelong learner myself.
Read More: International Youth Day 2025: Small Actions, Big Impact
Dreams sometimes need time
That is one of the most valuable lessons I have learned so far: dreams do not always move in a straight line.
Sometimes they pause while we build the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to pursue them well.
American novelist and Nobel laureate Toni Morrison once wrote:
“If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.”
I may not have built Perempuan Belajar yet, but I haven’t stopped believing in its purpose.
For now, I am laying the foundation.
And perhaps, one day, that preparation will become someone else’s opportunity.
