The Indonesian Women\u2019s Alliance will hold a demonstration in front of\nthe State Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, 18 June 2026. Alliance\nrepresentative Mutiara Ika Pratiwi stated that the action will be\nattended by at least 90 women\u2019s organisations that are members of the\nalliance.<\/p>\n
She said that her side is still consolidating the masses. However,\nthe National Chair of Perempuan Mahardhika predicts this demonstration\nwill be attended by at least more than a hundred women from various\neconomic strata and occupational backgrounds.<\/p>\n
\u2018This signifies that the Indonesian Women\u2019s Alliance\u2019s action is a\nconvergence of public anxiety over the economic and political crises the\ncountry is experiencing,\u2019 Mutiara said during an Action Preparation\nPress Conference at the LBH Jakarta office in Central Jakarta on\nWednesday, 17 June 2026.<\/p>\n
The action agenda will begin with a long march from the Dukuh Atas\narea in Central Jakarta to the front of the State Palace on Jalan\nMerdeka. During the action, participants will carry kitchen utensils and\nwear pink clothing as a symbol that the people are finding it\nincreasingly difficult to meet their basic needs.<\/p>\n
In their demands, the Alliance will voice three main points. These\ninclude urging President Prabowo Subianto to lower fuel prices, halt the\nfree nutritious meals (MBG) project, and create job opportunities.<\/p>\n
Mutiara explained that the demonstration, which will be predominantly\nattended by women from the labour class, is an accumulation of\nfrustration among women affected by various government policies that do\nnot side with the people, including the fuel price hike and the MBG\nproject.<\/p>\n
According to Mutiara, these two policies have caused a domino effect\nthat is impoverishing the public. The increase in fuel prices has caused\nthe prices of staple goods to skyrocket. This has indirectly strangled\nthe lives of women, especially labourers who work for low wages and long\nhours.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the policy is considered to have pressured the middle\nclass, many of whom employ domestic workers. \u2018That has led to many of us\nwomen who work as domestic workers being laid off because their burden\nhas also increased, making them unable to employ domestic workers\nanymore,\u2019 Mutiara said.<\/p>\n
In addition, the women will demand that President Prabowo fulfil his\npromise to resolve labour issues. According to Mutiara, there has been\nno proof of this promise to date. The establishment of the Task Force\nfor Mitigating Layoffs and Workers\u2019 Welfare, for example, has yet to\nmake any significant moves. The promise to abolish outsourced labour and\nprovide social assistance to workers has also evaporated.<\/p>\n
\u2018Prabowo is not using the very large resources to guarantee workers\u2019\nrights and ensure our social welfare,\u2019 Mutiara said. Ironically, she\nadded, these large resources are instead being poured into populist\nprogrammes that support the interests of the political elite, such as\nthe MBG and the Koperasi Desa Merah Putih (Red and White Village\nCooperatives).<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Women\u2019s Alliance is also inviting members of the\ngeneral public who share the same concerns to join the action. They hope\nthe government will respond to their aspirations seriously and openly.\n\u2018We also hope there will be no obstruction from the authorities, as has\nhappened in previous student actions,\u2019 Mutiara said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/womens-alliance-to-stage-protest-against-free-nutritious-meals-programme-tomorrow-1781683276", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }