Commitment to Achieving Equality for Female Workers in the Palm Oil Industry
The palm oil industry has a strong commitment to realising the principle of equality for female workers, including in terms of fair access, employment opportunities, and the fulfilment of labour rights without discrimination.
In his statement today, Sumarjono Saragih, Chairman of the Human Resource Development Division of the Indonesian Palm Oil Entrepreneurs Association (GAPKI), stated that the palm oil industry continues to strive to optimise human resource potential, including female workers. He emphasised that the principle of equality in the palm oil industry is realised while still considering aspects of women’s uniqueness.
“Opportunities to get jobs must indeed be equal, but we also have to consider women’s uniqueness from the aspect of job suitability to women’s physical strength. So, equality does not mean 50:50,” said Sumarjono Saragih in Jakarta today.
He explained that female workers in the palm oil industry generally work in maintenance and administration sections that relatively have a lighter physical workload. In the upstream sector, women work as harvesters and collectors of loose fruit. Meanwhile, in the downstream sector, women become cooperative members or plasma land managers.
The Palm Oil Farmers Union (SPKS) states that 86% of the workforce in the palm oil production process is dominated by women, especially in the early stages of the supply chain. They are heavily involved in activities such as fertilising, weeding, pesticide spraying, to collecting palm oil harvest results.
“Not all job fields are suitable for all genders. During harvest, it requires stronger physical strength so usually men are more suitable for that,” he said.
Regarding labour protection aspects, he assured that there is no difference in treatment between male and female workers. According to him, protection and fulfilment of rights are basic rights of every worker that must be given equally regardless of gender.
“Although women have their own uniqueness related to reproduction such as maternity leave and menstrual leave. However, those that are universal rights, rights to social security, rights to safe working conditions, are the same between men and women,” he stressed.
Sumarjono added that the palm oil industry has initiated the formation of women’s committees in the work environment as an effort to ensure optimal gender equality. The existence of these committees plays an important role in early detection as well as preventing various risks that can harm, endanger, or reduce the fulfilment of women’s labour rights.
“If there is a woman in the board of directors, she is the leader. This is a forum or group in the workplace to accommodate aspirations, complaints, grievances of female workers,” he said.
Finally, he urged the government, especially the Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDP), to continue supporting the mainstreaming of gender sustainably so that a work environment is created that supports the full development of each individual’s potential, without discrimination.
“There must be continuous movement because building awareness, making a culture of respect and equality is a process that must be done sustainably. It cannot be just once,” he concluded.