Minister of PPPA on the Domestic Workers Protection Act: No More Terms 'Employer' and 'Maid'

The Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) has warmly welcomed the ratification of the Domestic Workers Protection Act (UU PPRT) following delays spanning more than two decades. PPPA Minister Arifatul Choiri Fauzi explained that the UU PPRT clearly regulates the basic rights of domestic workers. These rights include fair wages, reasonable working hours, and social security. Additionally, workers are entitled to holidays or leave as well as healthy meals. According to Arifah, the UU PPRT not only protects workers but also employers. “In this act, domestic workers are regarded as workers. So there are no terms like employer and maid,” stated Arifah during a press conference at the Bina Graha Building in the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Wednesday, 22 April 2026. Arifah stressed that the current terms used are “domestic worker” and “domestic worker employer”. She explained that one aspect of legal protection for domestic workers enshrined in the act relates to the involvement of the surrounding community, particularly neighbourhood associations (rukun tetangga/rukun warga). The final draft of the Domestic Workers Protection Bill stipulates that employers are obliged to report the presence of domestic workers in their homes to the RT/RW. Furthermore, a copy of the employment agreement between the domestic worker and the employer must also be provided to the RT/RW. The act also outlines rules for mediation or out-of-court dispute resolution through deliberative consensus by the RT/RW head. “Because there it will be regulated that when a house or family employs a domestic worker, it must be reported to the local RT, including the name, age, and what agreements have been reached between the domestic worker and the domestic worker employer,” said Arifah. After 22 years of delay, the House of Representatives (DPR) and the government finally ratified the Domestic Workers Protection Bill on Tuesday, 21 April 2026, coinciding with Kartini Day. The regulation, which has been discussed since 2004, was approved in the 17th plenary session of the fourth period of the 2025/2026 session year.