About the Project:
Exploring the interlinkages between informal gender
entrepreneurship economy, local knowledge systems in traditional medicine, and
urban development
Traditional Medicine
Traditional Medicine in Indonesia is broadly called jamu, a tradition claimed to have originated in the Medang or Mataram Kingdom, a Hindu-Buddhist kingdom that flourished between the 8th and 10th centuries CE and was based in Central Java, and later in East Java. Although heavily influenced by Indian Ayurveda the vast Indonesian archipelago makes both its practices and plants variable. Indigenous physicians (dukuns) practice jamu, however it is generally prepared and prescribed by women who sell it on the streets. It is largely ‘live knowledge’ in the sense that it is orally transmitted although there are some texts which have been written.
Informal Sector Employment
Over the past two decades, employment in the informal sector has risen rapidly in all regions of the world. Global demand for herbal medicine has also steadily increased, especially in Asian cities. Around 75% of Indonesians consume various types of jamu products on a regular basis to prevent or heal diseases. In a country such as Indonesia, the informal sector has been playing an important role, by providing employment opportunities and income for many households. The economic importance of medicinal plants in Indonesia is not only observed at the local level but also mirrored at the macro level; large corporations produce jamu products with an annual growth rate of 25-30%. While there is little research to document the participation of women in the informal sector market, more research has been done to answer the question of women’s level of engagement, and this work suggests that the presence of women in the informal sector may be larger than men.
Questions to Explore
How do these women get involved in the traditional sector of jamu and herbal medicine? What are the impacts of their participation at a socio-economic level for these entrepreneurs?
What is the trend for the informal sector focused on traditional medicine? An important premise of this project is to understand the possible interlinkages existing between the formal and the informal sector focused on traditional medicine industry in Indonesia as well as the challenges possibly arising from such existing association between these two sectors.
What is the trend for the informal sector focused on traditional medicine? An important premise of this project is to understand the possible interlinkages existing between the formal and the informal sector focused on traditional medicine industry in Indonesia as well as the challenges possibly arising from such existing association between these two sectors.