A nineteenth domestic workers’ protest occurs in front of the Parliament Building on Friday 15 March 2024, during the Ramadhan fasting. The workers brings slogans urging the parliament to endorse the domestic workers’ protection law.
The draft law for the domestic workers’ protection is officially signed by the Parliament as a draft law by the parliament initiative on 21 March 2023.
There have been joint actions to unite Domestic Workers’ Network (Jala PRT), the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection and Presidential Staff Office.
The decision to sign the domestic workers’ protection law as a Parliament initiative is taken during a general assembly led by Puan Maharani, the head of the Parliament. Yet, after one years, there is no further progress on the law.
In one year, for example, more than 200 community organisations are united in the civil coalition for the domestic workers’ protection law and have staged actions and meetings with the Parliament in order to follow up the results of the general assembly.

In daily actions I front of the Parliament, all political parties offers their response without the presence of Puan Maharani.
To date, Puan Maharani has not made her move despite women calling her to act. There is only four months’ time remaining for the domestic workers’ protection law, and Puan Maharani has not shown her endorsement of the draft law, before it is brought in from of the deliberation commission of the Parliament. Women will have to fights once again from the beginning.

This situation will be exhausting particularly as domestic workers have to write a new domestic workers’ protection draft law considering that the fights has been a long process of roughly 20 years.
In the last four months of critical moments, The civil coalition for domestic workers’ protection law has a plan to stage acts in a number of cities in Indonesia. The acts embodies their anger that Puan Maharani fail to act, despite the fact that women are waiting for her in front f the Parliament Building on a daily basis.

The support comes equally from inter-faith religious leaders to demand Puan Maharani to fulfil the promise. They realize that violence against domestic workers is a humanitarian issue that cannot be ignored because religions does not teach violence.

If the Parliament does not sig the law on Domestic Workers’ Protection, then violence will continue to happen to domestic workers. Then, more and more people will become victims. The value of non-violence is real in religious teachings.

Buddhist teaching encourages all followers to be sensitive to others’ suffering. The Christian value prohibits people to suppress people who are in trouble. Islam promotes justice and equality, and prohibits all forms of oppression.

Religious leaders have issues many calls but Puan Maharani ignores them.

In the press conference on 19 March 2024, religious leaders state that religions do not allow for violence. The only way then is to sign the domestic workers protection law in order to get rid of violence.
The policy is clear. The Indonesian 1945 Constitution articulates the fulfilment of rights and the respect, protection and fulfilment of rights for all workers.

All national and international human rights regulation and instruments enrich or influence or being enriched and/or influenced by religious perspective and humanity. Together they form a “package” for domestic workers.

The inter-faith religious leaders not only conduct press conference to express their concern to Puan Maharani, but also to conduct inter-faith prayer in front of the Parliament Building on 21 March 2024.
The joint prayer involves inter-faith religious leaders, including lain Alissa Wahid, Pater Marten Jemarut Pr, Referent Gomar Gultom, Nasaruddin Umar, and others.

“The law should be expanded so that everyone knows how to treat domestic workers, how to bring justice for domestic workers, because domestic workers are people who are rendered powerless. Families are God’s representatives on earth to bring justice and to fight alongside the domestic workers,” says Alisa Wahid.

The chair of Indonesian Churches (PGI), Referent Gumor Goltam states that domestic workers should not experience modern-day slavery.

“We at the church assembly, we are disappointed if the workers do not get their rights, when they experience violence or when they live a miserable life or experience unnatural circumstances,” says Gumor Goltam.

“This breaks our heart, because the dignity of domestic workers must be respected. We ask all church members to promote justice in their respective church in Indonesia and urge the Parliament to discuss the domestic workers’ protection draft law and sign it into law,” says Goltam.

The Civil Coalition presents their opinions for the domestic worker’s protection law during a press conference, as follows:
1. Sign the domestic workers’ protection law, as there are already many domestic workers who become victims of violence, and religion should not ignore violence
2. Urge the Parliament head, Puan Maharani to meet the domestic workers, women activists and inter-religious activists to listen to their appeal to sig the law.
3. Ask the President to urge the Parliament head to sign the Law
The inter-religious heads urge communities to pray together in their own home starting from at 19.00 that night, on 19 March 2024. Then, there will be joint prayer at Parliament Building I Senayan, Jakarta on 21 March 2024. (Ast)