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Gender biases run deep in Indonesian companies: Survey
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An ILO survey has found that, on average, Indonesian men earn between 20 and 23 percent more than Indonesian women. (Shutterstock/File)
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recent study by the International Labor Organization (ILO) has shown that Indonesian women are increasingly well-trained and have begun to surpass men in educational attainment and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills. They represent a promising pool of talent for the country, but gender biases continue to plague Indonesian workplaces, holding many women back from their professional potential.
In June of this year, the ILO surveyed 400 companies in Indonesia and found that 80 percent supported gender diversity in the workplace. Companies said that diversity and inclusive policies would increase profitability, enhance creativity and innovation and would improve their reputations as employers.
But the realization of this professed desire remains distant for most companies in Indonesia.
A lack of women in senior management and on boards of directors of Indonesian companies reflects this gap between posited ideals and reality, as does the gender pay gap, unsupportive work environments and employment tendencies that limit women’s career progression.
The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded these challenges to Indonesian women as it has transformed working culture and has resulted in a proliferation of remote work.
“The pandemic impacts women and men differently because more women are in part-time employment and therefore at higher risk of losing their jobs,” ILO principal researcher Lidya Vega said in a public discussion on Wednesday. “COVID-19 demands a work flexibility that seems to have burdened women more since they also play a key role in running households.”
The ILO survey found that, on average, Indonesian men earn between 20 and 23 percent more than Indonesian women. The organization found that this was the result of biases against women, particularly about the jobs that they could or should do.
