Indonesia Passes Landmark Law Protecting Domestic Workers

email: online@newsofbahrain.com 

Jakarta: Indonesia’s parliament on Tuesday passed a long-awaited law to protect domestic workers, marking a major milestone after more than two decades of calls for stronger legal safeguards.

The House of Representatives approved the Domestic Workers Protection Bill during a plenary session held on Kartini Day, a national commemoration honouring women’s rights pioneer R.A. Kartini.

Lawmakers said the new legislation aims to regulate recruitment, working conditions and protections for millions of domestic workers, many of whom have long worked in the informal sector without legal coverage.

The law contains 12 chapters and 37 articles, and includes access to social security programmes such as health and employment insurance, along with rights to vocational education and training.

It also requires recruitment agencies to obtain licences and bans them from deducting workers’ wages.

Bob Hasan called the law a historic breakthrough for labour rights.

“This law keeps Kartini’s spirit of empowerment alive and turns it into a beacon of protection for domestic workers,” he said.

Vice Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said the government would issue implementing regulations within a year to clarify areas such as social security benefits and possible pension schemes.

He added that criminal penalties for abuse or exploitation would remain covered under existing laws.

The legislation also assigns oversight responsibilities to both central and regional governments, while encouraging community institutions to help prevent violence against domestic workers.

Advocates have long pressed for the law, citing widespread risks faced by domestic workers, including exploitation, weak legal protections and limited access to social benefits.