SCORE Gender Training

Background

Being more vulnerable to external shocks, most small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia have been finding it difficult to sustain operations due to the global financial crisis, new ASEAN China free trade area agreement and the quality of their jobs is being compromised in the process. The large majority of employment for both women and men is found in SMEs and the key to sustainable economic development that leads to effective poverty reduction lies in competitive and growing SMEs. Current research is showing that innovations in work organization, continuous workplace learning, good labour-management relations, and respect for workers’ rights are important ways of raising productivity while also promoting decent work. The broad problem that this project will address is how to minimize the impact of the financial crisis and tight market competition by fostering responsible and thus sustainable workplace practices – economic, social and environmental – in SMEs in order to improve their productivity and competitiveness in a manner that contributes to sustainable economic development.

The development objective of SCORE is that Indonesia’s SMEs are more sustainable through being cleaner, more productive and competitive and provide more sustainable and decent employment. To achieve this, the project is expected to have achieved the following concrete outcomes by the end of the three year project:

• Industry associations and training institutions market, sell and organize SCORE training for SMEs on a cost-recovering basis.
• Service providers deliver effective SCORE training and consulting to SMEs.
• Increased awareness of responsible workplace practices at the local, national and global level.

The project is funded by SECO, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and NORAD, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.

Upon the successful implementation of the first round of SCORE training in Jakarta area, SCORE Indonesia is doing the expansion of program activities from the Auto Parts sub-sector to other industries and to other area in SCORE 2nd Phase implementation, which are: Central Java (Semarang), East Java (Surabaya), South Sulawesi (Makassar), East Kalimantan (Samarinda), Lampung, South East Sulawesi (Kendari), Bali, West Nusa Tenggara (Lombok), South Sumatra (Medan), DI Yogyakarta and Greater Jakarta.

Since the ratifications of all core ILO Conventions in 2000, Indonesia has made progress in integrating key principles into its national legislation and in the implementation of these conventions. The decentralization of the Indonesian administration from the central to regional governments since 2004 has posed new challenges to Indonesia’s efforts to fulfill its international commitments and apply Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Discrimination on the basis on gender is common in Indonesia and youth, as inexperienced and new entrants to the labour market, are particularly vulnerable to discriminatory practices. A gradual process of awareness raising on Convention Nos. 111 and 100 equality standards is required to contribute to the elimination of discrimination in employment and the achievement of decent work for all.

Indonesia’s Constitution provides a strong framework for the equal treatment of all persons and explicitly outlines principles of equality in employment and occupation. The Manpower Act of 2003 further establishes a foundation for the protection of all workers from discrimination in employment. In 2005, the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration, in consultation with trade unions and APINDO, issued Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Guidelines for the private sector. These Guidelines cover all forms of discrimination but particularly focus on gender–based discrimination and were intended to support the implementation of the Manpower Act and Convention Nos.111 and 100. An Equal Employment Opportunity Taskforce, established at the time the EEO guideline was developed, has now been revitalized by the Government.

Overall objective

To improve the knowledge and increase understanding of training participants (SMEs) about the gender initiatives in the enterprises and practice on gender equality and non–discrimination at work, with a focus on strengthening the principles of equal employment opportunities.
Immediate objectives

• To introduce gender sensitive practices at work to SMEs (owners, managers and workers).
• To understand the importance and benefit of promoting gender equality and non-discrimination at work for the business world.
• To identify the forms of gender inequality or gender-based discrimination at works that present in the respective organizations or enterprises.
• To teach practical guidelines for the SMEs on gender initiatives, gender equality and non-discrimination at work

Presentations (only available in Bahasa Indonesia)

• Standar Ketenagakerjaan Internasional tentang kesetaraan dan non diskriminasi
• Kesetaraan di tempat kerja
• Konsep-konsep penting kesetaraan di tempat kerja