International Women's Day, PPPA Minister emphasises protection for domestic workers

Jakarta - The Minister for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, Arifah Fauzi, emphasised the importance of protecting domestic workers, who are predominantly women and often in vulnerable positions. ‘Equality is not merely a goal but the foundation of the nation’s progress. Today is a reminder that we must dismantle structural barriers that bind women, especially domestic workers,’ said the PPPA minister in Jakarta on Sunday. This was in response to International Women’s Day, observed on 8 March. According to her, domestic workers are the mainstay of family welfare and an engine of the economy that is often overlooked. ‘Yet this vital work often sits in a space under-protected by the labour legal system,’ Arifah Fauzi stated. She said the Indonesian government believes domestic workers have the right to protection, respect, and recognition of their humanity. Therefore, she said, the move to enact regulations that provide certainty of protection for domestic workers is an important step in strengthening the nation’s commitment to humane and civil values, as reflected in Pancasila. ‘The Draft Law on the Protection of Domestic Workers (RUU PPRT) has undergone a lengthy process of public discussion and legislation. The bill is expected to form a legal basis that clarifies the employment relationship in the domestic sector, including provisions on the rights and obligations of workers and employers, protection from violence and exploitation, and respect for conditions of work that are fair and humane,’ said Minister Arifatul Choiri Fauzi.