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Women workers demand stronger legal protections
Women workers from a variety of sectors voiced demands for women’s rights protection, including through the ratification of the domestic worker protection bill, which has been stalled in the House of Representatives for over 21 years.
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Participants march during a protest organized by the Indonesian Women's Alliance (API) on the 50th International Women's Day demanding labor rights, gender equality and protections, in Jakarta on March 8, 2025. (JP/Muhammad Zaenuddin)
W
omen workers from a variety of sectors have come together to urge the government to implement stronger legal protections against oppression, discrimination and violence in conjunction with International Women's Day on March 8.
On Saturday, more than 200 protesters from 30 organizations under the Indonesian Women’s Alliance (API), joined by activists, gathered in front of the Arjuna Wijaya Monument in Central Jakarta.
They voiced demands for women’s rights protection, including through the ratification of the domestic worker protection bill, which has been stalled in the House of Representatives for over 21 years.
Wina Ningsih Kuswadi, an advocate in the Sapulidi Domestic Workers’ Union, which is affiliated with the National Advocacy Network for Domestic Workers (Jala PRT), attributed the delay to the government’s bias toward employers.
“The government opposes the bill because they wear the face of employers [...] They consider us unimportant,” said the 42-year-old, who has been a domestic worker for the past three decades, during Saturday’s march
Job security is one of the main concerns addressed in the bill, as many workers in female-dominated sectors lack written contracts, leaving them susceptible to unfair treatment, including low wages and a lack of job stability.
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