An important part of Freeport-McMoRan’s community development programs worldwide is addressing the gender gap. Since 2008, PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) has assisted Kamoro women in joining the Kaoka Aitomona Women Cooperative, which supports them in small income-generating activities such as sewing and other household-level production.
These activities enable women to supplement their household incomes and to gain a sense of independence. In addition, women were targeted as beneficiaries of PTFI’s bank savings program, which built their capacity in managing household finances and running small businesses. By December 2013, 197 women from five Kamoro villages had participated in this program, with an estimated total savings of IDR 102 million.
Established in 2003 by PTFI, the Nemangkawi Mining Institute is dedicated to the long-term development of indigenous Papuans by providing them with rigorous training to gain the necessary skills to work in the mining industry.
Since 2007, the Nemangkawi Mining Institute has initiated special programs to provide opportunities for indigenous women in the industrial workplace. Women from these traditional communities have not historically participated in non-domestic employment. Several dozen female Nemangkawi graduates are now operating heavy equipment in the company’s Grasberg mine and associated infrastructure.