International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

Frequency: 12

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 Volume 13, Issue 6 (June 2026), Pages: 125-132

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 Original Research Paper

A creative economy approach to women’s empowerment for poverty reduction and the prevention of human trafficking in remote areas of Asahan

 Author(s): 

Rizkan Zulyadi 1, *, Sugito Sugito 2, Yuni Syahputri 2, Adelina Lubis 2, Ihsan Effendi 3, Dhian Rosalina 4

 Affiliation(s):

1Faculty of Law, Universitas Medan Area, Medan, Indonesia
2Master Program of Management, Universitas Medan Area, Medan, Indonesia
3Master of Agribusiness Program, Universitas Medan Area, Medan, Sumatra Utara, Indonesia
4Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Samudra, Langsa, Indonesia

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 * Corresponding Author. 

   Corresponding author's ORCID profile:  https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2665-6502

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

 
https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2026.06.012

 Abstract

This study examines the influence of poverty (POV), infrastructure (INF), and governance (GOV) on women’s economic empowerment (MAN) and their effect on potential development (POT) within the context of women’s empowerment through creative economy initiatives in Asahan Regency. The research adopts a quantitative approach using structural equation modeling (SEM) with LISREL and data collected from respondents participating in community-based empowerment programs. The results show that all direct relationships in the model are statistically significant, with t-values greater than 1.96 and p-values less than 0.05. Specifically, POV, INF, and GOV have positive and significant effects on MAN, and MAN has a positive effect on POT. Among these factors, GOV has the strongest influence on MAN, highlighting the importance of transparent, accountable, and effective governance in strengthening management capacity. The findings also indicate that better economic conditions, adequate infrastructure, and good governance can jointly enhance management capacity and support the optimal use of local creative economy potential. These results are consistent with empowerment theory, which emphasizes control over resources and decision-making ability as key factors for improving individual and community well-being. From a practical perspective, this study suggests that an integrated strategy combining economic development, infrastructure improvement, and governance reform can help prevent human trafficking in vulnerable areas. The proposed model provides a strategic framework for policymakers, NGOs, and other stakeholders to design participatory, sustainable, and locally based empowerment programs that not only increase income but also strengthen social resilience.

 © 2026 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

Women’s economic empowerment, Creativity-based economy, Poverty issues, Human trafficking, Isolated areas

 Article history

Received 6 October 2025, Received in revised form 5 March 2026, Accepted 12 June 2026

 Acknowledgment

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi, Sains, dan Teknologi Republik Indonesia (Kemdiktisaintek) and DPPM (Direktorat Penelitian dan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat) for the support and trust provided through this research grant. This assistance has been invaluable to the Universitas Medan Area research team, enabling us to complete our research and publish a scientific article. We hope that the results of this research will contribute positively to the future development of science and policy. Thank you for your continued cooperation and support. 

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Ethical considerations

The study was conducted in accordance with accepted ethical standards for research involving human participants. Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection. Participation was voluntary, anonymity was maintained, and all information was kept confidential. Special care was taken to protect vulnerable participants and to ensure that no identifying information was collected. 

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

Zulyadi R, Sugito S, Syahputri Y, Lubis A, Effendi I, and Rosalina D (2026). A creative economy approach to women’s empowerment for poverty reduction and the prevention of human trafficking in remote areas of Asahan. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 13(6): 125-132

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