Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – The Labour Party commemorated International Women's Day (IWD) by holding a protest action in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Jakarta on Wednesday March 8.
The party made a number of demands, including the participation of women in political affairs.
The demonstrators began arriving at the DPR building at around 11 am on Wednesday and appeared to be singing the national anthem Indonesia Raya before conveying their demands.
Jumisih, as the Labour Party's deputy for women's affairs, conveyed 11 demands from the labour organisations at the protest action, including the Indonesian Metal Trade Workers Federation (FSPMI) and the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI).
"We from the Labour Party who are present here from 11 initiators. There is the FSPMI, the KSPI, the KPBI [Confederation of United Indonesian Workers], the Jala PRT [National Network for Domestic Workers Advocacy], the SPI [Indonesia Farmers Union], the JRMK [Urban Poor Network] and others. So the total number of participants if counted is around 1,000 people", she told journalists.
Jumisih said that the Labor Party is demanding women's participation in national political affairs.
"We today, the Labour Party organised International Women's Day not just to be ceremonial. We are demanding that the government provide the broadest possible space for women to participate in political policy making. We from the Labour Party will be involved participating in the political cauldron [the elections] in 2024. The point is actually there", she said.
In addition to this, they are demanding that the Draft Law on the Protection of Domestic Workers (RUU PPRT) be enacted immediately.
"We can cite just for example the RUU PPRT. It has stalled [in the parliament] for almost 20 years and never been ratified into law. So our demand is immediately enact the RUU PPRT, don't delay because it will add to the 10-11 cases of violence against domestic workers [daily] and this is horrible", she said.
The Labour Party, continued Jumisih, is also demanding agrarian reform and the annulment of the Omnibus Law on Job Creation. "We are also demanding agrarian reform, oppose the Draft Law on Healthcare and we are also demanding that the government revoke the Omnibus Law", she said.
"Why is the Omnibus Law dangerous? Because in terms of its position the Omnibus Law on Job Creation actually reinforces the de-formalisation of labour so the Indonesian people will become informal workers. If they are de-formalised, there will be no labour security", she explained. (azh/azh)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Buruh Demo di Depan DPR, Tuntut Wanita Diberi Ruang dalam Kebijakan Politik".]
