RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Arifah Fauzi emphasized that the commemoration of International Women’s Day should serve as a catalyst for legal protection for domestic workers, most of whom are women and remain vulnerable.

She said domestic workers are the backbone of family welfare and an often-overlooked driver of the economy. “However, this critical work is frequently performed in an area inadequately protected by the labor law system,” Minister Arifah said in Jakarta on Sunday, March 8, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

“Equality is not just a goal, but the foundation of national progress. Today serves as a reminder that we must dismantle the structural barriers that still shackle women, including domestic workers,” she added.

Minister Arifah stressed that the ratification of the Domestic Worker Protection Bill (RUU PPRT) is an important step toward ensuring legal certainty for workers in the domestic sector. She noted that labor laws often fail to adequately safeguard household workers, leaving them vulnerable to abuse, violence, and discrimination.

The government, she continued, believes domestic workers have the right to protection, respect, and recognition of their human dignity. She added that efforts to introduce regulations protecting domestic workers are part of Indonesia’s commitment to upholding just and civilized humanitarian values, as reflected in Pancasila.

Since its initial promotion in 2004, the draft bill has undergone a long process and has been included in the Priority National Legislation Program (Prolegnas).

According to Minister Arifah, the bill is expected to provide a clear legal basis for employment relations in the domestic sector, including workers' and employers' rights and obligations, protection against violence and exploitation, and guarantees of decent and humane working conditions. ***