INDONESIA

The Provisional Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia guarantees the rights of women as citizens and mothers. This is testified by the fact that there are Indonesian women who have utilised these opportunities. There are women judges, female police personnel, women experts, doctors, engineers and high ranking women government officials.

In order to be able to perform their tasks for the above mentioned jobs, Indonesian women and mothers have to overcome many difficulties and abandon retrograde traditions. It is very difficult for Indonesian working mothers — one might even say impossible — to undertake jobs or accept transference to jobs in places other than the family residence without running the risk of a split in the family.

In some foreign enterprises like the BPM/SHELL, there are regulations stipulating that when a woman worker marries she is dismissed. This regulation shows the distinction drawn between married and unmarried women workers.

In enterprises where no such regulations exist there are no creches for babies or children of working mothers. Facilities to relieve the burdens of working mothers are non-existent. Since the enterprises look upon women as cheap labour many women are employed for half the working day only, or as occasional workers or for piece work which is done at home.

These women are not included in the category of workers entitled to receive health insurance, lodgings, annual leave and other such facilities. There are also many women who by virtue of their household duties cannot leave their homes and their children uncared for. They are thus compelled to work at home, sewing, making envelopes, paper bags or cloth bags, embroidery, etc. at piece work which has to be finished within two or three days. In practice, such work is done day and night, frequently by all members of the family.

In 1948, a Labour Law for working women and mothers was adopted. Article 13, paragraph 1 of this law states: "Working women may not be given working duties on the first and second day of the menstruation period."

Article 13, paragraph 2 of the Labour Law reads: "A working women must be given one and a half month's post-natal leave or the same after a miscarriage." The way of implementing these provisions is laid down in the Government Regulation, number 4, of 1951, article 1, paragraph 3.

However, this Labour Law to protect working women is constantly violated by the employers, thus depriving them of their rights.

The Labour Law of 1948, number 12, grants the right to working women to receive full wages during the three months of maternity leave, i.e. one and a half months before and after delivery. In practice, however, many employers put up a host of pretexts in order to evade this law.

According to custom, the husband in Indonesia is generally considered to be the head of the family. However a working woman who becomes the head of the family after her husband has died or has become an invalid, is deprived of family allowances.

Women working in government employment who support children receive a sum of money according to the number of under-age children she supports. This allowance is also given to a woman official whose husband is not in government service. If her husband also works in government employment, this allowance may be given to the wife provided that by mutual consent of husband and wife, the wife has been designated as the head of the family. The allowance is equal to 11% of the wages received to a minimum of 20 rupiahs and to a maximum of 50.

In general, health insurance for Indonesian working women in private enterprises is very disappointing. Many of the places of work do not come up to the standard laid down for health security, they are either too small, dirty or lack fresh air. The very low wages do not allow women workers to buy food needed for normal health. Food and drink, if provided by the employers, are far from sufficient.

Medical treatment is provided in only a very small number of enterprises for sick women workers and their children. Government workers are either granted free medical treatment by the government or reduced rates at hospitals and clinics. The number of hospitals, however, is so small that many are obliged to go to private doctors and have to pay much higher fees.

Out of every 1,000 babies born alive in Indonesia, approximately 150 to 200 die before having reached the age of one year. 672 medical stations have been established by the Mother and Child Welfare Department of the Ministry of Health to examine pregnant mothers, babies and children. The total number of doctors for the whole of Indonesia is approximately 2,000 for a population of over 82 million. The number of midwives is about 5,000. Maternity hospitals in Indonesia amount to 51 with a total capacity of 1,593 mothers daily. The number of hospitals for various diseases is 717 which together cater for 66,199 patients daily.

After the Indonesians wrested power from the hands of the Japanese fascists and proclaimed their independence on August 17th, 1945, discrimination in wages was abolished by law. Daily experience, however, proves that the old practices still persist.

Collective agreements between the trade unions and the employers on equal wages for both men and women workers are constantly violated and constitute a source of daily dispute.

This is also the case with article 2 of the 1948 Labour Law regulating child labour. In practice, under the system of piece work at home, many parents are compelled to involve their children in this work in their efforts to secure higher payment."