Challenges of Capacity Building for Women’s Group in the Coastal Area

This study aims to evaluate institutional capacity building program and their impact on the welfare of coastal women. The study employed qualitative method and data was collected through structured interviews and observations on the lives of coastal women’s families. A total of 5 group leaders and 25 group members were investigated in this study. The study identifies four main finding. First, the capacity building program was carried out sporadically and unstructured so that it did not have a significant impact on the development of the group and its members. Second, the absence of mentoring and marketing assistance for group business products. Third, the training program was effective in increase the ability of women in groups to process seaweed into various types of processed food, but are constrained by capital and product marketing issues so that their skills cannot be utilized optimally. And fourth, capacity building programs give little attention to the socio-cultural problems of the community, even though Cultural issues are an important factor in increasing the capacity of women’s groups.