Parjiyati, a former migrant worker who empowers others with key migration information

CIREBON, WEST JAVA, INDONESIA -- Parjiyati’s dream was simple – earn enough money to have a big ceremony for his son’s religious circumcision ceremony. This was her driving motivation when she migrated to Saudi Arabia as a domestic worker 19 years ago.

But Parjiyati’s experience was not a smooth sail.

Having the right information when working abroad should be on top of the priority list,” Parjiyati says. “The role of LTSA-MRC is very important to empower women migrant workers with information, and to provide support for survivors of violence."

Parijati

Her agency, upon learning that the employer would prefer a more mature domestic worker, forged her passport and declared Parjiyati 30 years old. She was 24.

At the airport, she demanded to read her sealed travel documents, only to learn that even her family card had false information. Parjiyati was also denied ample time to thoroughly read her employment contract as her agency was rushing her to sign.

“It is important to read and understand every document you sign as a migrant worker,” Parjiyati stresses. “If you can’t, have someone you trust to do it for you.”

Parjiyati’s agency became unresponsive as soon as she arrived in Saudi Arabia. She tried to report that she was doing more tasks than what was initially agreed upon but to no avail. In addition to that, her employer also kept her without salary for three years, along with the threat that going back to Indonesia would forfeit her pay.

Days after Parjiyati reached out to the Embassy of Indonesia in Saudi Arabia, someone claimed to help her by asking for a huge amount of money when repatriation services should have little to no charge.

National Agency for the Protection of Indonesia Migrant Workers (BP2MI) recorded around 278 cases of labour rights violations and gender-based violence against women migrant workers from Cirebon in 2019.

Gaps in information about safe migration and access to services can increase the risks women migrant workers may experience in going abroad to improve their livelihoods. “Back at the time, formal information on safe migration was not easily accessible. My only source of information were my friends and family,” she shares.

Now, as one of the network leaders, Parjiyati works with the Integrated Gender Responsiveness-One-Roof Integrated Service (LTSA-MRC) to equip Indonesian migrant workers with the information they need and protect them from potential risks.

LTSA-MRC is a Migrant Worker Resource Centre, a multi-stakeholder collaboration by the local government, women crisis centres, and migrant workers union to provide services for prospective Indonesian migrant workers. It aims to ensure that labour migration is safe and free from all forms of violence and trafficking in persons.

“Having the right information when working abroad should be on top of the priority list,” Parjiyati says. “The role of LTSA-MRC is very important to empower women migrant workers with information, and to provide support for survivors of violence.”

Pre-departure workshops and skills training are conducted for migrant workers to inform them about their rights and increase their awareness of the working conditions abroad.

ILO's Safe and Fair Programme supports LTSA-MRC in ensuring the safety of women migrant workers. In addition to outreach services to villages, pre-employment consultation, psycho-social counselling service, case handling, training for prospective Indonesia migrant workers and the provision of authoritative information, the MRC programme consists series of activities such as the improvement of data collection, gender-responsive labour migration governance at the village level, capacity building for local government officials and other service providers, strengthened coordination and social dialogue through the implementation of tripartite plus forums for the protection of migrant workers at district and sub-district levels.