PAP programs for female workers headed for abroad

PAP programs for female workers headed for abroad

JAKARTA (JP): Female workers who will be sent overseas will
again have the chance to prepare themselves with skills and
information through the reinstated training session (PAP)
organized by non-governmental organizations to avoid possible
cases of abuse and scam.

"The session, held for three to four days prior to their
departure, is a final checkpoint on their readiness to work
abroad," coordinator of PAP training Giwo Rubianto Wiyogo told
media on Monday.

The PAP session, initiated by the Indonesian Women's Congress
(Kowani) -- which comprises 77 female organizations -- will equip
female workers with basic information and education to protect
them.

Among the materials given are self-defense, sexual education,
faith and religion, language, information about Indonesia's
consulate or embassy and details on their working contacts.

Giwo charged that despite the numerous reports of abuse and
legal difficulties faced by Indonesian female workers abroad, the
government has never done anything decisive about resolving it,
she said.

"The number of sexual, physical assaults and robberies towards
female workers are very high. Therefore in this scheme the
workers will undergo a PAP session after their two-week work
training held at training workshops.

"We pushed for the PAP session since many workshops were
nothings more than rip-offs...In some case the workers never even
received any training and it was just a formality while their
contract and working permits are being held up by some officials
at PJTKI (Labor Exporters Association)," Giwo said.

The training sessions, which in Jakarta will be held at Asrama
Haji Pondok Gede in East Jakarta, holds between five to 20
classes per day with around 60 prospective workers per class.

The session will also include free medical training, held in
cooperation with the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM),
for those who will work as paramedics, nurses or baby sitters,
Kowani chairwoman Inne Soekaryo said.

"Eighty percent of the laborers, however, are housemaids. We
cannot just let PJTKI or other interested parties take advantage
of the workers' ignorance. Those workers have been cheated for
too long," Inne said.

The PAP sessions were first held in December 1999; however
they were suspended earlier this month after intensive lobbying
from several labor exporter companies which felt disturbed by
their existence, Inne said.

"Those labor exporters were disturbed since through the
session the workers were becoming better aware about their rights
and dared to demand fair treatment," she added.

She claimed that the session was again allowed to operate
after the Directorate General for Workers' Training and Plotting
(Binapenta) learnt about the real situation.(edt)