Member of DPR\u2019s Commission XIII and concurrent chairperson of the\nConfederation of Indonesian Domestic Workers, Rieke Diah Pitaloka, has\nhighlighted the lengthy discussion around the Draft Law on Protection\nfor Domestic Workers (PPRT Bill), which has waited for enactment for\nmore than two decades. Rieke urged that the PPRT Bill be enacted\npromptly. She made the remarks during a public hearing (RDPU) of the\nLegislative Body (Baleg) of the DPR discussing input for the PPRT Bill\nat the Parliament complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Thursday (5 March\n2026). According to her, the state has an obligation to ensure every\ncitizen receives fair and decent treatment in employment relations.<\/p>\n
\u201cProtection of workers is not merely a social policy, but a\nconstitutional mandate that must be realised through adequate\nregulations,\u201d said Rieke.<\/p>\n
Rieke explained that the number of Indonesian migrant workers abroad\nreaches about 5.2 million. Of that number, around 2.5 to 3 million work\nas domestic workers, with around 100,000 new placements every year.<\/p>\n
According to her, migrant workers make a significant economic\ncontribution to Indonesia. Based on Bank Indonesia data, migrant worker\nremittances in 2024 reached about USD 15.7 billion, or around Rp 253\ntrillion.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat means migrant workers, including millions of domestic workers,\nare the national economic backbone and drive household economies in\nvarious migrant home regions,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIronically, the sector that makes such a large economic contribution\nis still under the weakest legal protection. Indonesia has yet to ratify\nILO Convention No.\u00a0189 on decent work for domestic workers, and domestic\nworkers are not yet fully recognised within the national labour law\nsystem,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
She noted that the vulnerability of domestic workers is not only due\nto regulatory gaps but also to outdated perceptions of domestic\nwork.<\/p>\n
Rieke said domestic workers are often not recognised as workers, and\nthere remains social stigma as helpers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is an unequal power relation between workers and employers,\nworsened by social stigma as \u2018assistants\u2019 or, worse, as \u2018babau\u2019\n(servants). Care work has yet to be recognised as economically valuable\nwork,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Rieke highlighted various cases of violence against\ndomestic workers that still occur. She stated that Amnesty International\ndata for 2025 records at least 122 cases of sexual violence and domestic\nviolence against domestic workers in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year, during Ramadan, the most recent case we advocated\ntogether involved violence by almost the entire family against a\ndomestic worker who was tortured in the extreme,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Therefore, Rieke urged the government to ratify ILO Convention 189\nand expedite the enactment of the PPRT Bill. She also called for support\nfrom the DPR Baleg leadership and members from all factions to pass the\nbill soon to recognise workers\u2019 status, secure their rights, and provide\neffective legal protection mechanisms.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe PPRT Bill cannot wait any longer. The state cannot merely enjoy\nthe economic contributions of migrant workers,\u201d she stressed, noting\nthat migrant domestic workers contribute around Rp 253 trillion in\nforeign exchange each year, which ultimately becomes part of the\nsalaries and allowances in parliament. The state must not enjoy their\neconomic contributions without providing proper legal protection; the\nPPRT Bill has waited 22 years,\u201d she concluded.<\/p>\n
See also Video: DPR Baleg Member: The PPRT Law Will Be the Nation\u2019s\nand Government\u2019s Atonement.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rieke-urges-swift-passage-of-the-pprt-bill-after-22-year-wait-1772690393", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }