COLLECTIVE BUSINESS MODELS FOR WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT IN SMALL-SCALE FISHERIES: EVIDENCE FROM TALISAYAN, INDONESIA

Abstract

This study investigates how Kelompok Usaha Bersama (KUB) functions as a platform for empowering women in small-scale fisheries in Talisayan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Using a qualitative ethnographic approach that combined participant observation, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions, the research analyzes women's adaptive strategies, collective objectives, social integration, and cultural transformation. The findings show that KUB enables women to diversify livelihoods through fish processing and micro-enterprises, pursue collective objectives that strengthen their bargaining power in local markets, and build solidarity networks that reduce dependency on patron-client relations while fostering bridging and linking social capital. At the same time, participation in KUB supports cultural change by reshaping gender norms and legitimizing women's identities as economic actors within their communities. By applying Parsons' AGIL framework in conjunction with social capital theory and social constructivism, the study demonstrates how women's agency is simultaneously rooted in economic practices and cultural recognition. Beyond contributing empirically to the understanding of gender and fisheries in Indonesia, the study advances broader debates on empowerment by showing how collective enterprises can operate both as an economic safety net and as a transformative mechanism for social identity reconstruction. The results also offer practical insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to integrate community-based enterprises into sustainable fisheries governance and coastal development strategies.