Rieke Hopes PPRT Bill Is Passed by the DPR on Kartini Day

Jakarta — Member of the House of Representatives’ Legislation Body (Baleg), Rieke Diah Pitaloka, hopes that the draft Law on Protection for Domestic Workers (RUU PPRT) will be passed by the DPR on 21 April 2026, or precisely on Kartini Day.

She expressed this hope while accompanying Baleg Chairman Bob Hasan after a public hearing (RDPU) on the discussion of the RUU PPRT at the Parliament Complex, Jakarta, on Thursday 5 March 2026.

‘God willing, 21 April, Tuesday, 2026,’ Rieke said.

The first reason relates to the constitutional obligation of the state to provide protection to every citizen in the employment relationship. Worker protection, she stressed, is not merely a social policy but a constitutional mandate that must be realised through regulation.

‘First, within the constitutional framework, the state has a constitutional obligation to guarantee protection for every citizen in the employment relationship. It is set out in Article 27(2) and Article 28(2), which guarantee the right to fair and decent treatment in the workplace,’ said Rieke.

The evidence shows that 2.5 million to 3 million Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) work abroad as domestic workers and contribute to the national economy. While they make a significant contribution, Rieke contends that the sector has weak legal protection.

The third reason relates to a mistaken paradigm in viewing domestic work, including the power relation between employers and workers. The final reason concerns the high vulnerability of domestic workers to violence.

She cited data from Amnesty International that recorded 122 cases of sexual and domestic violence against domestic workers in Indonesia in 2025. ‘These figures may be only the tip of the iceberg, because domestic workers operate in the private sphere of households that are difficult for state oversight mechanisms to reach,’ Rieke said.