Indonesian women have increasingly become the prime targets of online lending platforms, driven by what is perceived as their higher consumption tendencies compared to men. According to Rakhmat Hidayat, a sociologist at the State University of Jakarta (UNJ), this pattern reflects a broader global trend in which women are positioned as the most lucrative consumer market segment.
“Globally, women are the most attractive target for consumer industries. That’s why many global brands focus their marketing on women rather than men,” Rakhmat explained in an interview on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. He noted that women's consumption needs are diverse — ranging from personal care and beauty to household necessities — making them more vulnerable to targeted financial products like digital loans.
When incomes fall short, many women resort to digital lending services as a shortcut to meet these demands. However, Rakhmat warned that this behavior often intersects with low levels of financial literacy.
“High consumption patterns, when paired with inadequate financial education, can lead to poor decision-making. Many women still don’t fully grasp the long-term risks associated with online loans,” he said.
Interestingly, this vulnerability spans across different social classes. In lower-income households, digital loans are often seen as a quick fix to alleviate economic pressure. In contrast, middle-class women tend to be influenced by lifestyle aspirations, particularly those shaped by social media.
“Take the middle class, for example. The glamorous lifestyles showcased online create a sense of pressure to keep up. When their earnings can't support that lifestyle, online loans are viewed as an instant solution,” Rakhmat elaborated.
He also pointed out that women tend to be more susceptible to advertising and peer influence due to strong social bonds within their communities. These social dynamics are exploited to market both consumer products and digital loan services.
“They have tight-knit social circles, and consumption decisions are often driven by peer environments,” he added.
To counter this growing trend, Rakhmat emphasized the need for gender-sensitive financial education and a sociological approach to the online lending crisis.
“As long as women continue to be treated merely as market commodities by digital capitalism without adequate education, the threat of predatory lending will persist,” he warned.
Recent data from the Financial Services Authority’s Illegal Financial Activities Eradication Task Force (Satgas PASTI OJK) underscores the urgency of this issue. From January to March 2025, 1,081 people were reported as victims of illegal online lending — 657 of whom were women, accounting for 61% of the cases. The remaining 424 were men, or 39% of the total.
These figures highlight a troubling pattern: as long as structural vulnerabilities go unaddressed, Indonesian women will remain disproportionately exposed to the risks of digital lending.