REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry pointed to the gender gap in employment in Indonesia. The ministry assessed discrimination and gender violence are still rampant in the workplace.

"If women can work safely and comfortably, it will boost their productivity that will ultimately benefit the employers," the ministry's Women's Rights Protection deputy Vennetia R. Danes noted in a statement received on Wednesday.

Issues of violence and inequality in workplaces worldwide were discussed at the 17th International Labor Conference (ILC) in Geneva, Switzerland. This year's ILC is among the important instruments to be followed up through the process of policy-making, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, Danes noted.

Such an instrument will help to prevent and address violence in the workplace, empower victims, and effectively protect women workers.

"The difference in power relations between subordinates and superiors often leads to cases of violence and harassment in the workforce," the ministry's deputy assistant for Women's Rights in Employment Protection Lies Rosdianty stated.

Hence, she believes that the ILC is a crucial instrument in a bid to end violence and harassment in workplaces around the world.

The 2018 ILC discussions, focused on the theme "The Women at Work initiative: The Push for Equality," were held in light of the 100th anniversary of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and as part of its initiatives on "Women at Work."

The ILC is held annually by the ILO to form and ratify international standards for the labor sector. At the conference, attended by government officials, workers, and businesspersons from 187 member countries of the ILO, Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri affirmed that the Indonesian government remained committed to creating decent work for women.

The Indonesian government has initiated the "National Movement of No Discrimination in the Workplace" and implemented "the Gender Neutral and Equal Wage in the Work Place Guidelines," the minister remarked. Indonesia had also set up the Equal Work Opportunity Task Force and worked to empower officials and other stakeholders.

Minister Dhakiri emphasized that Indonesia had implemented a social security scheme for protection against violence and harassment in the workplace. He also expressed his views on several initiatives by the ILO to push gender equality in the workplace.

Dhakiri stated that Indonesia had requested the ILO to expand its studies on work hour policies for women that were in line with the needs of both workers and businesses.

"The organization needs to ensure that there is data that could be used by countries in formulating policies to address the challenges for decent work for women in both the formal and informal sector," he added.

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