By Ulur Wiji Foundation
Creating Skills. Building Confidence. Opening Opportunities.
School Of Women Artisan is a practice-based learning program designed for women who want to develop skills in Indonesian textiles, craftsmanship, and creative production, while gaining a deeper understanding of responsible and sustainable making.
The program goes beyond technical skills.
It creates a safe and supportive space for women to learn, build confidence, exchange experiences, and explore opportunities for greater economic independence.
Through hands-on learning, participants are encouraged to turn their skills into something they can use — whether by working with artisan partners, developing their own products, or exploring opportunities within the creative economy.
Creating Access Where Opportunities Are Limited
In many rural communities, women of productive age have limited access to skills training, employment opportunities, mentorship, and inclusive learning spaces. Yet many already have the potential to learn, create, and contribute. What is often missing is not the ability — but the access and opportunity to develop it.
Sekolah Perempuan Artisans was created to help bridge that gap. We provide practical and relevant learning opportunities that are designed around the real lives, needs, and contexts of the women who participate. Because when women have access to skills and opportunities, they can create new possibilities for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Through Sekolah Perempuan Artisans, we aim to:
01 — BUILD PRACTICAL SKILLS
Equip women from underserved rural communities with practical skills in Indonesian textiles and craftsmanship, including batik, natural dyeing, sewing, and upcycling.
02 — CREATE OPPORTUNITIES
Help participants explore pathways toward greater economic independence through skills, creative work, and potential income-generating opportunities.
03 — BUILD CONFIDENCE
Create a supportive learning environment where women can learn, express themselves, and grow with confidence.
04 — PROMOTE RESPONSIBLE MAKING
Introduce greater awareness of responsible production, material use, waste reduction, and more thoughtful ways of making.
05 — BUILD LONG-TERM OPPORTUNITIES
Create opportunities for collaboration, continued learning, and potential partnerships with Ulur Wiji and other creative networks.
The program focuses on practical skills that can be developed through hands-on learning.
Hand-Drawn & Stamped Batik
Participants learn the fundamentals of hand-drawn batik (batik tulis) and stamped batik (batik cap), from understanding patterns and applying wax to developing colour and finishing the fabric. The goal is not simply to learn a technique, but to enable participants to independently create their own batik pieces.
Selected works may have opportunities to be developed and sold through Ulur Wiji, while participants are also encouraged to explore selling and developing their own work independently.
Turning Textile Waste Into New Possibilities
Participants learn how leftover and discarded textiles can be transformed into products with greater value and purpose. Materials may come from Ulur Wiji's production leftovers or other suitable textile sources.
Through hands-on projects, participants explore how textile waste can become products such as:
Keychains • Pouches • Dolls • Accessories • Other Small Goods
Beyond creating products, this program encourages participants to see textile waste differently — not simply as something to discard, but as a material with potential for a second life.
A Skill That Opens Doors
Sewing is a practical skill that can create opportunities both at home and within the wider creative economy. Participants learn progressively, from basic sewing techniques to more advanced skills, including pattern making, fabric cutting, garment construction, and other essential techniques.
With access to a sewing machine and the right skills, participants can begin creating products from home, develop their own small businesses, or potentially become production partners for Ulur Wiji. Our hope is that sewing becomes not only a skill they learn, but a skill they can build a future with.
School of Women Artisan is a collaborative initiative between Yayasan Ulur Wiji Berdaya, Ulur Wiji, and selected third-party partners.
The program is currently offered free of charge to selected participants, supported through Ulur Wiji's CSR initiatives and, where applicable, third-party grants and partnerships.
The program is open to:
- Women from local communities
- Women of productive age, including homemakers
- Women with limited access to skills training and learning opportunities
- Women who are interested in learning, creating, and growing together
Participant Selection
Each program may have a participant selection process managed by Ulur Wiji Foundation.
The curriculum, participant criteria, and learning activities may also vary depending on the needs, context, and objectives of each program.
The impact of Sekolah Perempuan Artisans goes beyond the skills learned in the classroom.
Participants gain a space to learn together, share experiences, build confidence, and explore new possibilities.
Some outcomes of the program include:
Skills & Knowledge
Participants develop practical skills in textiles, sewing, batik, upcycling, and responsible production.
Community-Based Products
Learning outcomes can develop into products created through the community and, where appropriate, offered through Ulur Wiji's sales channels.
Continued Learning
The program encourages participants to continue developing their skills beyond a single training session.
New Opportunities
Participants may have opportunities to collaborate with Ulur Wiji or explore independent creative and economic activities based on their skills.
We believe the real impact of a learning program is not simply measured by what participants learn during the training.
It is measured by what becomes possible after they learn.
A new skill can become a source of income.
A piece of fabric can become a product.
A learning space can become a community.
And confidence can become the first step toward independence.
This is what we hope to grow through Sekolah Perempuan Artisans.
Help Create More Opportunities for Women
Sekolah Perempuan Artisans is open to collaboration with:
CORPORATIONS
Through CSR and ESG programs, companies can support skills training, equipment, learning programs, and community development.
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Collaborate on practical learning programs, workshops, research, or community-based projects.
COMMUNITIES & SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS
Develop programs that respond to the specific skills, interests, and needs of local women and communities.
POTENTIAL COLLABORATION
Collaboration can take the form of:
Skills Training
Mentorship & Assistance
Learning Modules
Equipment Support
Community Product Development
Market Access & Partnerships
We believe empowerment begins with access — access to knowledge, skills, opportunities, and a supportive community.
If you are interested in supporting, collaborating with, or learning more about Sekolah Perempuan Artisans, we would love to hear from you.
Let's create opportunities together.