Breaking the Debt Trap: Community-Based Legal Education for Women Facing Predatory Online Lending in Merauke

Zegovia Parera

Abstract


The rapid advancement of digital technology has substantially eased access to financial services, one of which is online lending (pinjol). Although this innovation offers considerable benefits in terms of transaction speed and procedural convenience, the proliferation of online lending has simultaneously generated a range of legal, social, and economic problems, particularly for vulnerable groups such as women. A considerable number of women have fallen victim to illegal online lending practices, including exorbitant interest rates, misuse of personal data, and intimidating debt-collection tactics. Limited legal literacy is one of the principal factors that leaves women unable to optimally protect their rights. This community service program aims to increase women's awareness and knowledge of the risks of online lending and to assist them in addressing related legal problems. Through legal counseling and mentoring, women are expected to understand their rights and how to respond to the risks posed by online lending. The program employs interactive counseling and continuous mentoring methods to ensure that women are able to understand and apply the legal knowledge they acquire. The outcomes of this program are expected to increase women's legal awareness and knowledge while reducing their exposure to online lending risks.


Keywords


Legal Education; Online Lending; Women; Consumer Protection; Community Legal Empowerment.

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.33756/jds.v6i2.37895

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