Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison is shaping SheHacks 2026 around a practical idea: more women entrepreneurs need more than familiarity with technology, they need the ability to use AI to move their businesses forward. That focus places the program closer to the day-to-day realities of women-led UMKM that must keep pace with a rapidly changing digital market.
The timing matters because women already play a major role in Indonesia’s business ecosystem. Data from the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection shows that 64.5 percent of UMKM in Indonesia are owned or managed by women, making access to technology and AI a key part of their competitiveness.
AI as a tool for everyday business tasks
For UMKM operators, AI is increasingly seen as more than a tool for reaching customers. It is also used to support productivity, read consumer needs, and shape business strategies more effectively.
In daily operations, the technology can help with promotional materials, content creation, marketing, customer behavior analysis, and more efficient business management. That makes AI relevant not only for growth planning, but also for routine work that often takes up time and resources.
Six years of expansion and wider reach
SheHacks has been running for six years and is said to have reached more than 61,000 women across different regions in Indonesia. That reach has been built through business capacity building, digital training, mentoring, and stronger technology-based entrepreneurship ecosystems.
For 2026, the program is targeting 27,000 women UMKM participants. The learning format will run for six months and is designed to stay flexible so participants from different parts of Indonesia can join.
A mix of digital learning and direct support
Participants will get access to self-learning, webinars, online workshops, mentoring, and a business showcase. The structure is intended to do more than introduce technology, while also offering ongoing guidance for those who want to grow their businesses.
SVP Head of Corporate Communications Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, Ovidia Nomia, said SheHacks continues to evolve alongside the changing needs of Indonesian women. She also noted that AI will play a larger role in how people learn, work, run businesses, and innovate.
Ovidia added that Indosat wants women to have equal opportunities to understand and use technology. In that view, women are not only users, but also creators, innovators, and drivers of economic growth.
Workshops in 10 cities
Alongside the digital track, SheHacks 2026 will also hold in-person workshops in 10 cities. The cities include Bandung, Trenggalek, Medan, Bogor, Ternate, Bekasi, Pekanbaru, Badung, Singkawang, and Sragen.
Those sessions will feature inspirational talks, live selling activities, and experience-sharing with women entrepreneurs, communities, influencers, and Indosat representatives. The format combines technical material with practical business experience.
Participants will also learn how to use AI for digital marketing, content creation, and financial management. The learning will use Sahabat-AI, an Indonesian large language model designed to support productivity and business needs.
With its mix of digital learning, mentoring, and face-to-face meetings, SheHacks 2026 is positioned as both a learning space and a platform for empowerment. Indosat hopes more Indonesian women will use technology as a way to accelerate their businesses and create larger, more sustainable opportunities.
