Discrimination in the workplace

Discrimination in the workplace

From Media Indonesia

A friend of mine who is a mother of two works for a private company, which applies a gender-free salary scale. However, the company is unfair in extending social benefits to its employees.

A woman worker, married or otherwise, is considered single with the result that there are no social benefits for husbands and children. The company pays only maternity expenses. According to the company, husbands are family heads who must be responsible for the welfare of their families. In the case of this friend of mine, her husband earns a living in the informal sector, the kind of job from which he cannot expect to get a regular and sufficient income every month.

I feel sad to see how my friend goes about looking for a loan whenever her husband or any of her children fall sick. If only she were male, the company would pay for the medical expenses of her family members.

This is really most unfair. As a woman, I feel that women are still treated differently from men. They almost always come second. What is happening to my friend is only part of a bigger problem. I believe many companies still discriminate against women.

Allow me therefore to demand that the manpower ministry and the Office of the Minister of Women's Empowerment take action against discriminatory practices. It seems that the manpower minister has more interest in problems related to Indonesian women migrant workers abroad and forgets that many women workers at home are still unfairly treated. It is unfortunate that the Office of the Minister of Women's Empowerment fails to respond to this matter and has more interest in abstract and unrealistic issues of women's empowerment.

DERNY

Jakarta