ABSTRAKPenelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis pemberdayaan ekonomi perempuan asli Papua (OAP) melalui pemasaran buah pinang sebagai upaya menurunkan tingkat kemiskinan di Kota Sorong, Provinsi Papua Barat Daya. Pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif diterapkan dengan melibatkan 24 informan yang dipilih secara purposive dari delapan titik strategis pemasaran buah pinang. Teknik pengumpulan data meliputi wawancara mendalam, observasi lapangan, dan dokumentasi. Keabsahan data dijamin melalui triangulasi sumber dan member checking. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perempuan OAP memainkan peran krusial dalam sektor informal melalui perdagangan buah pinang yang menjadi sumber pendapatan utama keluarga dengan kisaran Rp75.000–Rp600.000 per hari. Hambatan struktural meliputi keterbatasan modal, fluktuasi harga komoditas, keterbatasan fasilitas usaha, dan minimnya kebijakan afirmatif. Kontribusi ilmiah penelitian ini terletak pada pemberian bukti empiris bahwa komoditas lokal berbasis kearifan budaya dapat berfungsi sebagai instrumen pemberdayaan ekonomi perempuan adat, sekaligus mengisi kesenjangan literatur tentang pemberdayaan perempuan di sektor informal Papua. Penelitian ini merekomendasikan intervensi kebijakan afirmatif berupa fasilitasi akses modal, pelatihan kewirausahaan berbasis budaya, dan penyediaan ruang usaha tetap bagi perempuan OAP.Kata Kunci: Pemberdayaan Ekonomi, Perempuan Asli Papua, Buah Pinang, Kemiskinan, Kota SorongABSTRACTThis study aims to analyze the economic empowerment of indigenous Papuan women (OAP) through areca nut marketing as an effort to reduce poverty levels in Sorong City, Southwest Papua Province. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed, involving 24 informants selected purposively from eight strategic areca nut trading locations. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, field observation, and documentation, with validity ensured through source triangulation and member checking. The results indicate that indigenous Papuan women play a crucial role in the informal sector, with daily income ranging from IDR 75,000 to IDR 600,000 through areca nut trading as the primary household income source. Structural barriers include limited access to capital, commodity price volatility, inadequate business facilities, and insufficient affirmative policies. The scientific contribution of this research lies in providing empirical evidence that culturally-based local commodities can function as economic empowerment instruments for indigenous women, filling a gap in the literature on women's empowerment in Papua's informal sector. This study recommends affirmative policy interventions encompassing facilitation of capital access, culturally-grounded entrepreneurship training, and provision of permanent business spaces for OAP women.Keywords: Economic Empowerment, Indigenous Papuan Women, Areca Nut, Poverty, Sorong City