Konstruksi Sosial pada Peran Batik Rezti's dalam Pemberdayaan Pekerja Perempuan Penyandang Difabel di Kecamatan Ambulu

Abstract

Women with disabilities continue to face social stigma and limited access to decent employment opportunities. This condition reflects the prevailing social construction that perceives women with disabilities as less productive, resulting in restricted participation in the labor market. In response to this issue, Batik Rezti's, a creative industry located in Ambulu District, not only provides employment opportunities but also implements an empowerment program for women workers with disabilities. This study aims to analyze the social construction of Batik Rezti’s role in empowering women workers with disabilities in Ambulu District. This research employed a qualitative method with a case study approach. The analysis was based on Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann's Social Construction Theory, which consists of the stages of externalization, objectivation, and internalization. The findings reveal that Batik Rezti's empowers women workers with disabilities through a pre-employment training program before they are directly involved in the batik production process. The externalization stage began with the business owner's experience of being involved in a disability community, which inspired the initiative to create inclusive employment opportunities. The objectivation stage was reflected in the implementation of a one-month empowerment and training program that gradually became an institutionalized work practice. Furthermore, the internalization stage was demonstrated by the workers' increased self-confidence, independence, responsibility, and ability to perform their duties as batik artisans. This process has created a new social reality in which women with disabilities are recognized as capable, productive individuals who are able to contribute meaningfully to the workforce through inclusive empowerment.