Children take up fight for their rights

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A short-haired teenage girl ran toward a group making preparations at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle to celebrate National Children's Day on Saturday.

Maesaroh, a 15-year-old from Lampung who calls herself Maya, was a little late for the event but said she was just happy to be there at all.

Two days ago, Maya was still working for a family in Lampung that did not allow her to go out, abused her physically and mentally and often withheld her monthly salary.

"We had to pretend to be her family when we asked her employer to let her leave," said Endang, the headmaster of a school for domestic workers, Sekolah Rumpun Jaya, in Pamulang, Tangerang, who temporarily acted as the girl's guardian before sending her back to her hometown.

On Saturday, Maya joined some 400 other students and domestic workers rallying to raise awareness about children's rights.

Organized for National Children's Day, in conjunction with the International Labor Organization, the Children's Welfare Foundation, the Indonesian Domestic Worker Organizers Association and the Office of the State Minister for Women's Empowerment, the event's main focus was promoting the idea of minimum labor standards, including a minimum hiring age of 15 for domestic workers.

A 2002 ILO survey revealed that there were 688,132 children under 18 years old nationwide involved in 24-hour, seven-day-a- week employment as domestic workers.

In Jakarta, these children receive an average of Rp 300,000 a month. In some cases, the employers only pay out small amounts regularly and give out lump sums after a year.

Previously, non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch said that child domestic workers between 12 and 15 years old often worked 14 to 18 hours a day, with employers often subjecting them to physical and sexual threats.

Although it is not categorized among the worst forms of child labor, working as domestic helpers prevents school-age children from receiving proper education.

Saturday's campaign suggested that "fostering" child domestic workers and providing them with the chance to go to school was an ideal way to employ child workers. Campaign materials also exhorted people to ensure that their domestic workers got one day off a week.

Most of the workers, who came from the Greater Jakarta area, spread out banners and handed out flyers and balloons as a Chinese traditional dance Barongsay and Betawi music were performed.

Following an address from State Minister for Women's Empowerment Meutia Hatta, the crowd moved to Taman Ismail Marzuki where painting and best-letter-to-the-President competitions were held and children's movies screened.

Meutia called for all parties to pay more attention to children's welfare, including those in penitentiaries.

The President will host on Sunday another children's day event at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII). (003)