Original Source: www.hrw.org
For more than twenty years, domestic workers in Indonesia, primarily women, have been tirelessly fighting for their rights, yet little has changed. Millions toil within the confines of private homes, providing crucial services but remain unshielded by labor laws. This isolation fosters environments where many suffer severe psychological, physical, and sexual abuse at the hands of their employers.
Lita Anggraini, the national coordinator of Jala PRT—Indonesia’s Advocacy Network for Domestic Workers—expresses that, “Domestic workers are essential to the economy and deserve rights and protection. Instead, they face dire working conditions, akin to modern slavery, all while the state offers no support.”
With Indonesia’s new president, Prabowo Subianto, a critical opportunity arises to support these workers by pushing for the Domestic Workers’ Protection Bill (PPRT) through parliament. This bill aims to ratify both the International Labour Organization’s Domestic Worker’s Convention and the Violence and Harassment Convention to secure essential rights for workers.
Discriminatory views often diminish domestic work as mere “women’s labor.” This stigma is accentuated since many who enter the profession are adolescents, sometimes as young as 12. The absence of enforced age restrictions leads to widespread vulnerability among hundreds of thousands of women and girls who are susceptible to exploitation and abuse.
Despite relentless advocacy from activists and civil rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, past Indonesian governments have hesitated to implement necessary reforms. For two decades, Jala PRT has tirelessly pushed for the Domestic Workers’ Protection Bill, which would acknowledge these workers’ rights and protect them against violence. However, the bill has languished in parliament, stymied by a persistent lack of political will.
The Indonesian government must act decisively to pass this long-awaited bill, which recognizes the legal protections millions of domestic workers so desperately deserve yet have been denied for far too long.
The plight of domestic workers in Indonesia highlights a longstanding issue of unrecognized labor rights, primarily affecting women and girls. These workers contribute significantly to the economy while facing severe abuse and discrimination. Legislative efforts like the Domestic Workers’ Protection Bill aim to address these injustices, seeking to elevate domestic work to rightful recognition under the law and provide safeguards against exploitation.
In summary, domestic workers in Indonesia have endured decades of neglect, suffering in silence while providing essential services. With the right legislative actions, particularly the passing of the Domestic Workers’ Protection Bill, there is hope for meaningful reforms that would secure their rights and improve their safety. The government must recognize these workers’ contributions and take action to protect them from further abuse.
