Indonesia updates its EEO Guide to be relevant with the fast-changing world of work

BOGOR, Indonesia (ILO News) - Representatives of Indonesian labour actors from the government, workers and employers gathered at the Tripartite Workshop on Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Guide and Creating Safe Workplace to jointly update the existing EEO Guideline developed in 2005 by the Ministry of Manpower in consultation with the Indonesian Employers’ Association (Apindo) and trade union confederations.

“It is important for Indonesia to update its EEO Guide so that it would be more relevant with the recent developments in the world of work,” said Lusiani Julia, the ILO’s programme officer, adding that these various changes included the development of the inclusiveness concept, the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), technological developments and changes in the work system.

“Recent important changes that have an impact on EEO are the adoption of the ILO Convention No. 190 (C190) on Violence and Harassment at Work and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. To accommodate these changes, we surely need to work together in making our EEO Guide more relevant,” Lusi added.

C190 is the first international treaty to recognize the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment.

The updated EEO Guide will serve as a compilation of Indonesian policy and regulation related to prevention and elimination of harassment at workplace, especially for women and as a practical guide for employers’ and workers’ organizations, as well as for youth entering workforce and start-up companies, in understanding and preventing workplace harassment."

During the workshop, the tripartite participants actively provided suggestions and recommendations. Some of the recommendations included the following issues: recruitment and placement, social security, skills certification, remuneration and monitoring as well as evaluation of this EEO Guide.

The updated EEO Guide will serve as a compilation of Indonesian policy and regulation related to prevention and elimination of harassment at workplace, especially for women and as a practical guide for employers’ and workers’ organizations. In addition, the updated Guide will also provide responses to practical instructions and good practices for youth entering workforce and start-up companies in understanding and preventing workplace harassment.

“Furthermore, we hope that the Guide can complement the new Law on Sexual Violence and the Manpower Ministerial Circular Letter No. SE.03/MEN/IV/2011 on Guidelines for Prevention of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace and other upcoming regulations by the Ministry,” said Dyah Retno Sudarto, ILO’s programme coordinator for C190 on work violence and harassment issues.

As part of the socialization of the new sexual violence law, Tiasri Wiandani, Commissioner of the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) presented key contents of the Law and its relations to the protection of workers and ILO’s C190. The new Law acts as an umbrella policy to protect the society from nine types of sexual violence: physical sexual violence, non-physical sexual violence, electronic-based sexual violence, contraception coercion, sterilization coercion, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, sexual slavery and forced marriage.

The workshop also introduced the new guideline on addressing violence and harassment at work. Developed by the ILO and UN Women, the guideline provides a complete and comprehensive guide for relevant stakeholders from employers, trade unions, individual or group of workers, to policy makers at national and regional levels and community groups interacting with workers. By using the guideline, the stakeholders will be equipped to take steps and initiatives for prevention, early detection and programme as well as policy planning.

“We also hope that this new guideline, together with the updated EEO Guide, will continue strengthening our joint efforts to promote gender equality and inclusiveness, eliminate discrimination at workplace and to create workplaces that are free violence and harassment,” Dyah continued.

Attended by 30 tripartite participants, the workshop was conducted by the ILO through its Programme on the Elimination of Violence and Harassment at Work and through a joint United Nation (UN)’s project, Employment and Livelihood, funded by the UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Multi-Partner Trust Fund (UN-MTPF).

Based on the 2021 data from Komnas Perempuan, there are 116 reported gender-based violence towards women workers. Five cases experienced by domestic workers, six by women migrant workers and two by women human right defenders. In addition, the data also showed 114 cases of women workers in various sectors.