Women's Empowerment through the Lorong Wisata Program as a Strategy for Improving Family Welfare in Makassar City

Abstract

Women living in the alleys (lorong) of Makassar City have long been a group at the periphery of urban development policy attention. They face a dual challenge: limited economic access alongside a heavy responsibility for sustaining family life. The Lorong Wisata ("Tourism Alley") Program, initiated by the Makassar City Government, emerged as a policy innovation that not only reorganizes the physical environment of the alleys but also opens space for women's empowerment within them. This study aims to describe the forms of women's empowerment generated through the Lorong Wisata Program and to analyze its impact on improving family welfare. The study uses a qualitative approach with a case study method. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and documentation involving women actively engaged in the Lorong Wisata Program in Makassar City. Data analysis was conducted using the interactive model of Miles and Huberman. The findings show that the Lorong Wisata Program provides women with access to skills training, business capital, and stronger social networks. This empowerment encourages a shift in women's roles from being merely housewives to becoming active economic actors who make a tangible contribution to family income. In addition, there is an increase in self-confidence, independence in decision-making, and improvement in environmental quality that together support family welfare in a holistic manner. This study concludes that the Lorong Wisata Program has the potential to become a sustainable, locally grounded model of women's empowerment that is relevant to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goals 1, 5, and 11.