Jakarta, Feb. 21 -- Indonesia's women's empowerment minister said Red and White Village Cooperatives are central to strengthening family resilience, describing them as engines of rural growth that expand access to education and protection services.

"Red and White Village Cooperatives are not merely economic institutions, but strategic tools to strengthen family resilience, broaden access to education and bring protection services closer to communities," Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Arifah Fauzi said in a statement Saturday.

She spoke during a dialogue with residents at a Red and White Village Cooperative in Padang, West Sumatra, as part of a working visit to the province.

Fauzi said the government is encouraging...