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