Some export destination countries — such as the United States and the nations of Europe — have begun to reduce orders for textiles, clothing and footwear as a result of the pandemic. In late March, the government was still optimistic it could handle the disruption and encouraged tourism to sustain the economy and jobs. But now the country has more than 6,000 cases and counting , with the capital as the epicenter.

Various policies to minimize the spread of COVID-19 have included the large-scale social restrictions and social safety nets for the working class. Unfortunately, layoffs and furloughs are still happening on a massive scale.

As of April 5, more than 132,000 workers had been furloughed in Jakarta and more than 30,000 had been laid off. In West Java and Central Java nearly 300,000 workers had been furloughed as of early April and nearly 30,000 laid off. There is no specific data by gender and by subsector industry.

In this health and economic crisis, the textile, clothing, and footwear subsector is more vulnerable given its high dependence on global supply chains as well as brands based in developed countries. The industries are largely concentrated in Java which has seen the most cases of the virus of anywhere in Indonesia.

In 2016, about 85 percent of the nation’s textile, clothing and footwear factories were located in Jakarta

and other parts of Java. Furloughs, unpaid leave and massive layoffs as a result of COVID-19 have had a real impact on women workers.

In the same year, the International Labor Organization recorded that of the about 4.2 million workers in Indonesia’s textile, clothing and footwear industry , 58 percent — 2.4 million — were women. Of all the jobs in the industry, 92.5 percent are operational, such as production operators, production workers and transportation operators. Most of these operators are women, while men tend to occupy senior management positions. Further, 69 percent of female workers in the textile, clothing and footwear industry have permanent employee status compared to 75.5 percent of the total male workers.

The feminization of work is reflected in this industry — as it mirrors the division of labor between men and women in both the public and the domestic space. Women tend to be associated with care work that requires accuracy and is deemed not to require expertise, so they are often paid poor wages and can be easily replaced. Sewing, cutting, trimming and embroidery are considered unskilled work even though they constitute the core production process of the industry.

Thus while Indonesia commemorates April 21 as Kartini Day, after the heroine of women’s emancipation, we are reminded that this feminization of work in manufacturing also brings feminization of poverty.

Comprising the bulk of workers without a permanent status, women workers are most vulnerable to layoffs and are more likely to be exposed to economic injustice because they depend on daily wages, which in turn depend on production volume. As production tanks, it is these women who are hit hardest.

The women’s contracts and casual status make it easy for companies to lay off or furlough them without social security or compensation.

Furthermore, cultural factors also deepen women workers’ issues during crises such as the ongoing pandemic. Despite their daily work, in patriarchal societies like Indonesia women are not considered breadwinners despite the fact that many provide for a large share of their families’ needs.

Such assumptions have led employers to lay off women workers earlier than male employees, even though many poor families need double incomes to get by. Unlike the well-to-do, the women are not working to fill up their spare time; their income is crucial for the security of their families and themselves. With a paycheck, women may have more bargaining power and be less exposed to domestic violence.

Recently, the government issued the preemployment card program to cope with the pandemic’s impact on businesses and jobs. Based on a new presidential regulation, it is a competency development program for job seekers, workers affected by termination and those needing competency improvement. They will receive training facilities, certification and financial incentives.

During the pandemic, the preemployment card scheme is irrational as a social security measure. Workers joining online training must purchase an internet quota while they need food on the table. Women tend to prioritize their husbands in joining such programs, because the women bear the bulk of the domestic burden; poor households cannot afford to pay domestic workers. Such gender analyses must be included in public policy decisions.

Thus the government should provide direct social assistance to laid-off or furloughed workers based on clear recipient data, bureaucratic effectiveness, transparency and assurance against corruption.

Further, the government needs to help companies, such as those in the textile, clothing and footwear industry, to shift production to personal protective equipment, including masks for health workers and for the public, as many private businesses have done. The government must also ensure adherence to health protocols in the production process. Push the brands and retailers to act responsibly by supporting employers’ financial capacity for retail jobs and wages.

The spirit of Kartini is to encourage emancipation in the public space, in education and in the workplace. Emancipation isn’t a neutral term related to opportunity; it entails equality and antidiscrimination policies and practices, based on recognition of the specific conditions and experiences of women , such as during this pandemic.

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Editor of Jurnal Perempuan feminist journal and researcher at the Trade Union Rights Center