International Women’s Day: Activists, Women Demonstrate in Jakarta
Undeterred by the rain, around 100 people staged a demonstration in Jakarta, Wednesday (8/3), to commemorate International Women’s Day.
Most of them are women from various trade unions and non-governmental organizations. The protesters demanded equal rights for women workers, including domestic workers.
“We see that what the state is doing is placing women in a position that is vulnerable to harm and injustice. First, sexual harassment is still rampant. Even though the sexual harassment bill has just been signed, until now sexual harassment still occurs. So many of these injustices are structural in nature and caused by the government itself,” said the head of the Women’s Solidarity organization, Dinda Nuranisa Yura.
Protest during International Women’s Day in Jakarta, March 8 2023. (REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana)
Ayu Anggraini, a protester, said, “We also urge the government to sign the PPRT (Domestic Worker Protection) Bill because we see the urgency. Many victims of domestic workers never get justice that was not supported by law from the start. Their rights are not protected.”
This year’s demonstration also touched on environmental issues. A demonstrator carried a WALHI (Walhi for the Environment) banner that read “Women Need Climate Justice. Not a False Climate Solution.”
International Women’s Day has its roots in the US socialist and labor movements of the early 20th century when many women struggled for better working conditions and the right to vote. [ab/uh]
