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Indonesia: Lobbying for the C190: "I had to explain to them why domestic violence is an issue for workers."

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by IDWFED published Mar 18, 2020 12:00 AM
Lobbying for the ILO Violence and Harassment Convention (C190): “I had to explain to them why domestic violence is an issue for workers”

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Indonesia -

Lobbying for the ILO Violence and Harassment Convention (C190):

"I had to explain to them why domestic violence is an issue for workers"

 

 Lita Anggraini is the National Coordinator of JALA PRT (National Network for Domestic Workers Advocacy) in Indonesia. Since 2017, JALA PRT has organized an alliance of unions and organizations of women workers, informal workers and minorities. JALA PRT with some trade unions like KSBSI, KSPI, KSPI, FBLP (Forum Buruh Lintas Pabrik that majority members are women and from textile-garment workers) and SINDIKASI (Unions of Mass Media Workers) and women and disability organizations like Perempuan Mahardhika, Kalyana Mitra, Yapesdi, Yayasan Perlindungan Insan Indonesia, LBH Jakarta, LBH Apik Jakarta invite organizations with different concern and cross cutting issue to make alliance for advocacy for elimination discrimination violence and harassment in work world - GBV. There are twenty-four organizations in the Alliance.

JALA PRT is an affiliate organization of the International Domestic Workers’ Federation, which Safe and Fair is supporting to conduct advocacy nationally and internationally. From 2018, Lita and with the 8 domestic workers union within JALA PRT with the alliance advocated for the adoption of a new ILO Convention on Violence and Harassment. JALA PRT has objectives that the issue of discrimination violence and harassment in work world – GBV become common issue – cross cutting issue and become part of social movement.

“Our alliance discussed issues of gender-based violence (GBV), and the advocacy for an ILO Convention on the issue. The advocacy for an ILO convention tackling GBV is not only a tripartite matter for the formal and recognized trade unions to work on, but also an issue faced by all workers, women, citizen. Domestic workers, women informal workers, people with disabilities, and minority groups should join hands in hands together as well to fight against discrimination and abuses. Domestic workers, for instance, are not recognized as workers, but they work the same like others and suffer from many [instances of] violence and harassment.”

We say that you, me, they, we are workers. 

This is our matter together so must move together.

 

“The Alliance invited many other sectors of workers (e.g. transportation, home based workers, media workers, banking etc.) to discuss the ILO questionnaire [in preparation for the Convention] and then the draft instrument. We jointly submitted our report to not just the ILO but also our Government. We then approached several ministries, the Minister of Women Empowerment and Child Protection, Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Law and Human Rights etc. to lobby for their support to an ILO Convention.”

“Right after the ILO [published the preparatory] Blue Report with the proposed text of the instrument on Ending Violence and Harassment in the World of Work on 28 February 2019, we met with the Ministry of Manpower on 2 March 2019 to demand the support of the Government of Indonesia for a Convention.”

“The Minister said yes [that the Government would support a Convention], but we had to make sure that it was not lip service only. In March and April 2019, we met with different government ministries to lobby for support.”

Because some of the proposed Convention text and scope involved new concepts, Lita and JALA PRT explained and unpacked them for policymakers.

“We explained to the Government officials and the Ministries what the proposed definition of the ‘World of Work’ was. We organized four press conferences, two sessions of dialogues and submissions of reports and responses to the governments and the ILO. We especially highlighted to the minsters the severe discrimination faced by the minority groups, e.g. people from the some race – area in Indonesia. We explained the situation of disability people, LGBTQI workers who often cannot get access to jobs.”

Lita Anggraini was part of the IDWF delegation supported by Safe and Fair that attended the International Labour Congress (ILC) in June 2019, where the Convention was adopted. She had also attended the ILC in 2018.

“I, together with the delegation of the IDWF, attended the double discussion of the ILO instrument on Ending Violence and Harassment in the World of Work at both the 107th and 108th sessions of the ILC in June 2018 and 2019. In the first round of the discussion, I and the some members of Indonesia Alliance who attended the ILC lobbied our Government delegates to support the Convention. I had to explain to them the definition of the ‘World of Work’; why domestic violence is an issue for workers; and why it has to be included in the Convention text. I also [talked with them about the links to the] Domestic Violence law in Indonesia as well.”

The Indonesia Government voted in favour of a Convention supplemented by a Recommendation at the 108th session of the ILC.

JALA PRT and the alliance work continues as they lobby for the Indonesian Government’s ratification and parliament  of C190 ratification. 

Now prepare for the academic draft for C190 ratification that we submit the government and parliament and conduct regular meeting, lobby and campaign for this issue.

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