Establishment of Salimah Pre-Cooperative as an Effort to Empower Women: Strategies for Strengthening Women's Economy in Banyumas

Abstract

Women's empowerment is a crucial fundamental aspect of social development and economic acceleration in society. The Muslim Women's Association (Salimah) in Banyumas is a case study of a women's community that has great potential to improve family welfare through economic and community initiatives. This article analyzes Salimah's empowerment model through its Pre-Cooperative Formation Assistance program, which focuses on strengthening management capacity, entrepreneurship, and the establishment of shared stores. The results of the study show that a participatory approach, the formation of Pre-Cooperatives as a forum for collective learning, and intensive assistance have the potential to increase women's economic independence while strengthening community solidarity based on religious values. This program makes a real contribution to development communication by placing women as central actors of change. These findings confirm that women's empowerment through pre-cooperatives has the potential to become a model of socio-economic sustainability at the grassroots level.