Yogyakarta – Scores of demonstrators from the Yogyakarta Domestic Worker Protection Network (JPPRT) took to the streets on Monday February 14 demanding decent wages and protection for domestic workers.

According to action coordinator Henny, the domestic workers’ demands are totally reasonable because in reality domestic workers are still vulnerable to physical, psychological, social and economic violence.

Domestic workers (PRT) represent the largest group of working women, which in global terms total more than 100 million around the world, with 4 million in Indonesia and more than 6 million others working overseas. In the special Yogyakarta province of Central Java alone there are more than 36,000 domestic workers.

Domestic workers’ living and working conditions are still inadequate and they often experience rights violations, being paid extremely low wages, are vulnerable to exploitation and have no labour guarantees.

Domestic workers are still not acknowledged as part of the work force and legal protection, both at the national as well as international level, is still very low. This situation provides more and more room for the violation of domestic workers’ rights. The government meanwhile gives the impression of simply waiting for a new case of abuse to occur and only then does it takes steps.

“Because of this we are demanding that immediate wage improvements be made, the immediate enactment of a domestic workers’ protection law and the immediate establishment of a legal protection system for domestic workers at the municipal and regency level”, said Henny in a speech. [bw]