RI's poor record on child labor deplored

JAKARTA (JP): The International Labor Organization (ILO) lamented the scant attention being paid by both officials and activists of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to the extensive problem of domestic child labor in the country.

Pandji Putranto, the national program coordinator for the International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor, explained yesterday that one of the reasons for the poor attention was the nature of the problem itself.

He told The Jakarta Post that it is difficult to identify child domestic workers because domestic service is "hidden work" despite its rampant practice, especially in the case of girls.

The hidden nature of the service has made many NGOs reluctant to deal with the issue, preferring to deal with the more visible problem of street children.

"So far, there is no data to support our activities in dealing with child domestic workers," Pandji said, adding that a recent ILO report on child domestic workers represented an initial step for the body's campaign against the problem.

The ILO report, titled Child Labour: Targeting the Intolerable and released on Tuesday, contained the finding of a recent study that there were an estimated 400,000 child domestic workers in Greater Jakarta. The study also said there were up to five million child domestic workers in the country.

The report stated that child domestic service is a widespread practice in many developing countries, with employers in cities often recruiting children from rural villages through family, friends and contacts.

Violence and sexual abuse are among the serious and frightening hazards facing children at work, especially those in domestic service, it said.

The report revealed that the majority of domestic workers tend to be between 12 and 17 years old.

The report also disclosed gender-related differences, where girls often work in domestic labor while most boys work in construction, agriculture and manufacturing.

"Girls, because of their employment in households, work longer hours than boys. This is one of the main reasons girls receive less schooling than boys," the report said.

In addition, girls are more vulnerable than boys to sexual abuse and its consequences, such as social rejection, psychological trauma and unwanted motherhood, it said.

Suyono Yahya, third assistant to the coordinating minister for people's welfare, rejected the suggestion that the government has paid little attention to the problem. (ste)