Children take up fight for their rights
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)