Invisible to Influential: Women Migrants’ Community-Based Enterprises in the Creative and Digital Economy

Abstract

This paper explores the post-migration transformation of Indonesian women migrant workers into grassroots entrepreneurs within the emerging creative and digital economy. Drawing on life narratives and qualitative data from multiple informants—including returnee workers, community mentors, and policy advocates—the study reveals how formerly invisible women reclaim agency through micro-enterprise development, skill-sharing, and local leadership. Despite enduring systemic exploitation, emotional trauma, and gendered stigma, these women demonstrate a shift from being passive remittance senders to becoming active agents of economic and social change. The research categorizes key thematic areas—emotional resilience, structural vulnerability, informal economy, family dynamics, and community empowerment—highlighted through word cloud analysis, frequency mapping, and intersectional coding. The findings show that digital literacy, peer mentoring, and creative production (e.g., crafts, home-based services) have opened pathways for sustainable reintegration and financial autonomy.Furthermore, the study argues that such women-led initiatives challenge both patriarchal norms and state-centric migration policies by building alternative, solidarity-based economies. These enterprises are not just survival mechanisms—they are expressions of dignity, resistance, and localized innovation. Ultimately, the paper advocates for stronger integration of gender-sensitive, community-rooted entrepreneurship into national development and digital inclusion policies.`

Keywords: women-migrants, digital literacy, creative economy, post-migration empowerment.