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As reports of domestic worker abuse rise, lawmakers urged to pass law
The regulation to protect domestic workers from abuse by their employers had been on hold for 15 years.
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The number of reported cases of abuse of domestic workers has increased in recent years. (Shutterstock/File)
F
itri, 19, moved to Jakarta from her hometown in Magelang, Central Java, in July to work as a domestic helper in Tebet, South Jakarta. She was hoping for a better life and the ability to support her family.
Her dream crumbled four months later.
On Nov. 8, Fitri fled from the house where she worked and lived after she was physically abused by the mother of the family. She said the woman hit her arms and legs with a broom because she claimed Fitri could not follow instructions.
“I ran away from the house and found a security guard in the housing complex. I told him what had happened. He then took me to the house of the neighborhood unit (RT) head to get treatment and later took me to a nearby hospital,” Fitri told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
Sri Siti Marni, a 24-year-old former domestic helper from Bogor, West Java, faced a similar ordeal. After completing her elementary education in 2007, she worked for a family in Utan Kayu, East Jakarta, until 2016.
At first, she said her employer showed no violent tendencies. However, after eight months of living in the house, the employer started to harm her for no apparent reason.
“I remember having hot water thrown on me and being ironed by my employer. I was scared, so I escaped the house by jumping from the third floor,” she said.
