Wanted: nurseries for working mothers<\/p>\n
According to data from the Jakarta branch of the Central
\nStatistics Agency, the number of working women in the capital is
\n1,041,366, or about 31.5 percent of the 3,379,202 working people
\nin Jakarta. However, many offices do not provide day care centers
\nor special rooms for breast-feeding mothers. The Jakarta Post's
\nLeony Aurora and Damar Harsanto have been looking into this
\nissue. This is the first of four articles.<\/p>\n
Hesti Purwanti had to lock herself in the library at her previous
\noffice and post a \"Do not enter, mother is pumping milk\" sign on
\nthe door just to make sure that her first baby was fed properly.<\/p>\n
Now, the 34-year-old mother of two can go any time to the
\nnursery on the ground floor of the Graha Unilever on Jl. Gatot
\nSubroto, South Jakarta, where she has worked the last two years,
\nto express her milk in peace.<\/p>\n
\"I love that there's such a place here. I can express more
\noften and longer each time, and bring more milk home,\" she said
\non Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The room, decorated all in blue, is equipped with a
\nrefrigerator, a sterilizer, a bottle warmer, two cribs and a
\ncouch for mothers.<\/p>\n
The company's senior medical advisor, Johny Sulistio, said
\noffices should provide special rooms for breast-feeding mothers.<\/p>\n
\"Maternity leave ends two months after delivery, while babies
\nare expected to drink only mother's milk in the first four to six
\nmonths,\" said Johny.<\/p>\n
Many professional women nowadays return to work after giving
\nbirth, either because of financial constraints or the personal
\nsatisfaction they enjoy from work.<\/p>\n
Although Article 83 of Law No. 13\/2003 on manpower stipulates
\nthat employers should allow women employees to breast-feed their
\nbabies during working hours, the standard on what facilities
\nshould be provided is yet to be set.<\/p>\n
\"There should be bylaws or ministerial decrees to regulate
\nthis,\" said Johny.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Manpower Agency head Ali Zubeir said the law could be
\ninterpreted either that companies should allow employees to go
\nhome if they live nearby or provide an in-house nursery.<\/p>\n
\"Of course, not all companies, especially small-scale ones,
\nare required to comply with the regulation,\" he said, as it
\ndepended on the companies' financial capabilities.<\/p>\n
Most offices do not provide such facilities -- not even City
\nHall. Faced with this fact, many women with breast-feeding
\ninfants are forced to make do with restrooms or with any
\navailable empty room.<\/p>\n
Anastasia Wibowo, a Unilever employee, said a fellow colleague
\ndisposed her milk after pumping it in the rest room.<\/p>\n
\"She was afraid it was not hygienic,\" said Anastasia. \"She
\npumped out the milk just to release the tension.\"<\/p>\n
Sulistio said the production of breast-milk was influenced by
\nthe environment where a woman expressed the milk. \"If she is
\nuncomfortable, the flow could stop abruptly.\"<\/p>\n
A nursery should have at least a refrigerator, as breast-milk
\nexpires after six hours at room temperature. In a refrigerator,
\nthe milk can keep for up to three days.<\/p>\n
Ali promised that an amended city bylaw on manpower would
\ninclude the provision of a nursery, but he did not mention a time
\nframe of the revision.<\/p>\n
Large companies, including Bank Indonesia, Indofood and major
\nbanks in the capital should start providing nursing facilities,
\nhe added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/wanted-nurseries-for-working-mothers-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}