Garment, Footwear, and Textile Workers Urge the Ratification of the Elimination of Sexual Violence Bill (RUU PKS) Into Law
The Eradication of Sexual Violence Bill (RUU PKS) has been rolling since 2012, but until now there is no sign that it will soon be ratified by the House of Representatives. In fact, this bill is urgently needed not only to protect women, but specifically to protect women workers from the vulnerability of sexual harassment in the workplace.
“We want the bill to be ratified immediately. This law is needed to provide legal protection for workers, especially women workers,” said the Chairperson of the Presidium of the Alliance of Indonesian Garment, Footwear and Textile Workers (APBGATI) Ari Djoko, in a press conference held at the Head Office KSBSI, Jakarta, Wednesday (September 1, 2021).
On this occasion, a number of trade unions/labor unions and institutions that are members of the APBGATI, unitedly urged the House of Representatives (DPR) to ratify the Eradication of Sexual Violence Bill (RUU PKS).
APBGATI’s Head of Organizational Division, Beni Rusli, in a press release said that the urging for the ratification of the RUU PKS had been conveyed by APBGATI at a meeting with the Legislative Department of the DPR on Thursday (August 25, 2021), at the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia building, Senayan Jakarta. The meeting was chaired by the deputy chairman of the Legislative Department of the House of Representatives, Willy Aditya, and received a commitment from the legislative body to encourage the Government to discuss this bill in a participatory and inclusive manner.
Regarding the results of the meeting, the head of FSPBI Jumisih conveyed several points of note from APBGATI. “After a long period of tug-of-war in the Prolegnas, we note that there are still shortcomings in the RUU PKS. That is, it does not cover the right to assistance for victims of sexual violence,” said FSPBI chairman Jumisih.
So, added Jumisih, in line with pressure from the labor unions, efforts should be made to anticipate the potential for sexual violence in the workplace. Among them are encouraging companies to make CLAs that contain prevention and treatment gender-based violence, one of which is sexual violence in the workplace.
“The PKS Bill in general is similar in substance to C ILO 1900, so it is very necessary to ratify ILO C 190 to protect women workers from sexual violence in the workplace more broadly,” concluded Ari Djoko.A
