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Sexual Violence in Palm Oil Plantations: Is It Becoming Common?
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Sari Idayatni
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October 15 was commemorated as International Day of Rural Women. In the workforce, rural women are certainly different from men in rural areas or women and men in urban areas. According to data from the Central Statistics Agency in 2020, the 2019 census showed that the labor force participation rate (LFPR) of rural women is 53.38%, lower than the LFPR of rural men, which reaches 82.21%.
The failure to integrate rural women into the workforce may also be caused by their low level of education, with some villages only completing elementary school.
Sexual Violence Often Occurs in Palm Oil Plantations
In certain areas, job opportunities for rural women are more prevalent in the informal sector, such as working as freelancers in palm oil plantations. Working in palm oil plantations is also commonly done across generations, proving the limited job opportunities for rural women.
In fact, in an investigative article about violence against women working in palm oil plantations last year, the Associated Press (AP) featured three generations ranging from six years to over 100 years old working in the plantations.
In Indonesia, there are about 7.6 million women working in palm oil plantations. Like women in other sectors, they are not exempt from harassment and even sexual violence. AP in November last year published findings on various issues faced by female workers in palm oil plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia.
One of the cases is the sexual violence against a 16-year-old female worker. This woman was raped several times by her superior until she became pregnant and was threatened not to tell anyone about the incident.
Gender Inequality and Employment Status as Causes
According to Hotler Parsaoran from Sawit Watch, the condition of female workers in palm oil plantations is much worse than that of male workers. In addition to sexual violence ranging from verbal harassment to rape, female workers also face other issues such as health problems due to pesticide spraying equipment being operated without adequate safety measures, and cases of miscarriage due to excessively heavy physical work.
Also read: Papuan Women, Oppressed by the State, Trampled by Culture
Moreover, their status as workers does not provide them benefit to access health facilities for free, while their earnings are only enough to meet daily needs. Even when their physical condition is not optimal, they force themselves to keep working because the wages they receive depend on their work performance.
Cases of Justified Sexual Violence
Activists view that many cases of harassment in palm oil plantations go unreported or unaddressed because they are considered “normal.” The location of the plantations far from crowds and public facilities, coupled with the economic conditions of the workers that often force them to do anything to meet their daily needs, make these plantations an “ideal” place for harassment and sexual violence.
In some cases reported to the police, victims are asked to settle “peacefully” by asking for financial compensation from the perpetrators. There are also cases where pregnant victims are married off to the perpetrators to avoid shame.
The lack of real legal action against the perpetrators makes survivors reluctant to report and prefer to bear the physical and psychological burdens resulting from the violence they experience. In addition, the lack of information available to rural women about where they can report leads them to be unaware of the options available to access services or assistance when experiencing sexual harassment.
References:
Mason, M., & McDowell, R. (2020, November 18). Rape, abuses in palm oil fields linked to top beauty brands. AP NEWS. https://apnews.com/article/palm-oil-abuse-investigation-cosmetics-2a209d60c42bf0e8fcc6f8ea6daa11c7
Marson, M., & McDowell, R. (2020, September 24). Palm oil labor abuses linked to world’s top brands, banks. AP NEWS. https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-only-on-ap-indonesia-financial-markets-malaysia-7b634596270cc6aa7578a062a30423bb
Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection. (2020, December). Profile of Indonesian women 2020 (No. 2089–3515). https://www.kemenpppa.go.id/index.php/page/read/26/3057/profil-perempuan-indonesia-tahun-2020
Written by: Sari Idayatni
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Jadi Saksi yang Berani Beraksi Seperti Jung Da-Jung di Drakor 18 Again
Pernahkah kamu berada di situasi di mana kamu melihat langsung ketika rekan kerja diperlakukan tidak pantas? Situasi yang sering membuat kamu bingung, tidak tahu harus berbuat apa? Kamu tidak sendirian.
Berdasarkan Survei Kekerasan dan Pelecehan di Dunia Kerja Indonesia 2022 yang dirilis oleh Never Okay Project, faktanya sebanyak 72,77% orang pernah menjadi saksi kekerasan dan pelecehan di lingkungan kerja.
Mengapa Saksi Sering Memilih Diam?
Meskipun angka saksi ini sangat tinggi, kenyataannya ada banyak juga saksi yang memilih diam. Mengapa demikian?
Menjadi saksi atau bystander memiliki beban mental tersendiri. Beberapa alasan utama mengapa saksi enggan melapor atau bertindak antara lain:
Takut kariernya akan terhambat atau dikucilkan oleh lingkungan kantor.
Merasa manajemen tidak akan mengambil tindakan tegas meski sudah melapor.
Takut dianggap terlalu ikut campur.
Keberanian Itu Bukan Fiksi
Tim Never Okay Project menemukan salah satu scene menarik dalam drakor 18 Again (2020). Scene ketika Jung Da-Jung (Kim Ha-Neul) melihat senior kantornya diam-diam merekam rok rekannya sesama karyawan magang. Kejadian yang berlangsung di dalam lift itu mengejutkan Da-Jung.
Tanpa berpikir panjang, ia langsung memelintir tangan pelaku dan memaksanya keluar dari lift. Da-Jung juga mengkonfrontasi pelaku untuk membuka ponselnya untuk diperiksa. Setelah bukti-bukti dipastikan, pelaku tersebut kemudian digiring keluar oleh polisi untuk diamankan.
Apakah aksi berani seperti ini fiksi dan hanya bisa dilakukan di dalam adegan-adegan film? Tentu, tidak.
Menjadi Saksi yang Berani Beraksi
Kamu juga bisa menjadi saksi yang berani beraksi. Tapi, sebelum itu, ada hal yang lebih penting untuk diutamakan, yakni keamanan dan keselamatan diri.
Merespons kekerasan dan pelecehan seksual di depan mata tidak selalu harus menggunakan cara yang Da-Jung lakukan. Berikut adalah beberapa hal yang dapat kamu lakukan.
Jika kamu rasa situasinya aman, kamu bisa mengkonfrontasi dan mengedukasi pelaku.
Jika kamu rasa situasinya tidak aman, ini yang bisa kamu lakukan:
Saat kejadian:
Alihkan perhatian atau topik pembicaraan.
Minta rekan kerja senior untuk menegur pelaku.
Dokumentasikan kejadian tersebut.
Setelah kejadian:Tenangkan dan tanyakan keadaan korban.
Tawarkan bantuan pada korban.
Jadi saksi pada pelaporan ke atasan atau HR.
Gunakan hasil dokumentasi untuk bukti pelaporan.
Pantau perkembangan laporan.
Cerita Jung Da-Jung dalam drama mungkin fiksi, namun tantangan yang dihadapi para pekerja di Indonesia adalah nyata. Menciptakan ruang kerja yang aman bukan hanya tugas manajemen, tapi juga tanggung jawab kita sebagai saksi yang berani beraksi.
It’s Not A Fiction. Jangan biarkan lingkungan kerja kita menjadi tempat yang tidak aman bagi siapapun.
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4
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Just Pretend to Be Good: About the Well-being of Lecturers in Indonesia
Lecturers so far seem to have no problems, maybe it’s because we are in denial. We pretend to be okay. So it’s like (we need) awareness that we are not okay, awareness that something needs to change, awareness that we are the working class who are very likely to be oppressed in our work fulfillment relationships.” – Nabiyla Risfa Azzati, representative of the Lecturer Welfare Research Team (2023)
The teaching profession, which is considered promising, does not guarantee worker welfare. A survey from the Lecturer Welfare Team shows that there are still lecturers who are dissatisfied with their salaries. This research was released in commemoration of Labor Day and National Education Day 2023.
Survey by the Lecturer Welfare Research Team (UGM-UI-Unram, 2023) shows that 42.9% of lecturers earn below Rp3 million. About 35% of them feel that their monthly income does not match their workload and qualifications as lecturers. Moreover, nearly one-third of respondents reported spending monthly living costs of Rp3-5 million.
Not All Lecturers Live Prosperously
The representative of the Lecturer Welfare Research Team, Nabiyla Risfa Azzati, stated that this research shows the fact that many lecturers are not prosperous. The labor law lecturer at UGM noted that more than 40% of lecturers earning below Rp3 million is a red flag.
“This speaks about a profession that on one hand requires very high qualifications to enter, therefore its barrier is very high, while on the other hand, this profession also becomes the backbone of knowledge creation,” emphasized Nabiyla when met by the Never Okay Project (NOP) team.
Issues of Lecturer Welfare Rarely Discussed
Nabiyla revealed that the welfare of lecturers is rarely raised. This is why this research was conducted: to make this issue mainstream so that the parties concerned can be more open and acknowledge that there are problems.
“Because if we can acknowledge that there is a problem, we can start from there, we can look for solutions together. If we don’t even admit there’s a problem, it’s very difficult, right?” she said.
Nabiyla realizes that discussions about salaries are still considered taboo, especially for the teaching profession, which is considered noble and carries a certain social status. She also acknowledges that it is not difficult to find prosperous lecturers. However, that does not mean we should turn a blind eye to the 42.9% of respondents who earn less than Rp3 million.
“If my life is used as an example, lecturers are fine. But there are many other lecturers who are not okay,” she said.
Lecturers No Longer an Attractive Career Choice
The results of this research also seem to answer an assumption that being a lecturer is no longer an attractive choice. “How can we attract quality individuals to work in a profession that in its early stages cannot provide welfare. Like it’s impossible,” she said.
Nabiyla also mentioned the high resignation rate from CASN (Civil Service Candidates) lecturers. This indicates that something is wrong.
“This actually shows that there’s something wrong, we do not value people who actually want to dedicate their time to knowledge creation in Indonesia,” she explained.
Read also: Violence Against Journalists: From Sexual to KBGO
Ideal Salary Standards for Lecturers
Discussing ideal salaries for lecturers is quite complicated. This is because the benchmark for fair wages in Indonesia refers to the minimum wage, which in this context is the standard of Decent Living Needs (KHL). However, this context is considered less suitable when talking about lecturer salaries.
“Why? Because first, the barrier to becoming a lecturer is high, so this should be seen as a profession that should not be valued at bare minimum,” explained Nabiyla.
She compared it to other countries that generally do not value lecturer salaries at minimum wage. The reason is that lecturer salaries there are negotiated. In Indonesia, sector-based negotiations are nearly non-existent, so the Lecturer Welfare Research Team cannot answer how to provide an ideal standard for lecturers.
Comparing Lecturer Salaries with Neighboring Countries
The Lecturer Welfare Research Team attempted to compare lecturer salaries in Indonesia with comparable neighboring countries, namely Malaysia and Thailand. The results are quite shocking. The average lecturer salary in Malaysia is Rp 20-25 million and in Thailand is Rp 38-42 million. Nabiyla revealed that initially, the team felt those figures were not suitable for this job because they were too high. However, the main problem is that Indonesia does not have a standard for lecturer salaries.
“The comparison with Malaysia and Thailand should not be a very far comparison, but seeing that we currently do not have a standard, if we were to present at the Ministry of Education and Culture, we’d face ridicule. It’s strange how we don’t have standards; we are even afraid to mention a figure that isn’t too high at all, it’s actually quite normal,” said Nabiyla.
Lecturers are Workers Too: Fighting Not to be Oppressed
The survey results from the Lecturer Welfare Research Team also show that the lecturer profession is a labor profession. Therefore, it is necessary to fight to not be oppressed.
“Call us professional workers, call us white-collar workers, call us knowledge producers, whatever the name, at the end of the day, we are workers, we are laborers,” said Nabiyla.
Source:
Lecturer Welfare Research Team. (2023, May 4). How much do lecturers earn? Here are the results of the first national survey mapping the welfare of academics in Indonesia. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/berapa-gaji-dosen-berikut-hasil-survei-nasional-pertama-yang-memetakan-kesejahteraan-akademisi-di-indonesia-203854 accessed on May 21, 2023.
Interview with the representative of the Lecturer Welfare Research Team, Nabiyla Risfa Azzati. May 17, 2023.
Writer: Yanti Nainggolan
Editor: Imelda
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World AIDS Day: The Rise of Discrimination Against PLHIV in the Workplace
December 1st is World AIDS Day. Unfortunately, the stigma against People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) still strongly persists in society, including in the workplace. Many of our friends have lost access to employment early on due to discriminatory company policies. The reasons vary, from concerns of being unproductive to fears of transmission.
PLWHAs do not need pity, but rather support to maintain their empowerment. Combatting the stigma around HIV/AIDS can start with self-education, you know, so please read this article to the end!
World AIDS Day: HIV/AIDS in Indonesia by the Numbers
Just like World AIDS Day which is commemorated every year, the number of HIV/AIDS cases in Indonesia continues to rise each year. The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Indonesia has been ongoing since 1987. HIV/AIDS cases are spread across 34 provinces and 308 (61%) out of 504 districts/cities. According to WHO data from 2019, there are 78% of new HIV infections in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to data from Kemkes RI, the highest number of tests recorded was in 2019 with approximately 4.1 million HIV tests, and 50,282 of these were HIV positive. Based on gender, the majority of PLWHAs are male. The largest AIDS risk factors are heterosexual (70%) and homosexual (22%). The number of AIDS cases reported in 2019 was 7,036 cases.
At the end of 2020, UNAIDS reported the number of PLWHAs in Indonesia as 540,000 people. This year recorded 28,000 new cases of PLWHA. Data shows that 66% of PLWHAs are aware of their condition and 26% of PLWHAs have access to Anti-Retroviral (ARV) therapy. Since 2010, the percentage of PLWHAs receiving ARV therapy has continued to increase.
Read also: Research results by Never Okay Project regarding Harassment and Sexual Violence in the Workplace
World AIDS Day: Discrimination against PLWHAs in the Workplace Continues
Although the number of PLWHAs receiving ARV therapy continues to rise, it does not reduce the discrimination they face. According to UNAIDS, in 2019, 12.2% of PLWHAs reported experiencing discrimination from their surrounding environment.
Without the consent of the PLWHA concerned, people around them report their health status to medical personnel. This then adversely affects the lives of PLWHAs.
What are the vulnerabilities of discrimination against PLWHAs in the workplace?
Here are five vulnerabilities of discrimination against PLWHAs in the workplace that we should know:
Direct discrimination, such as firing employees solely because of their HIV-positive status
Indirect discrimination, for instance, through HIV-free job requirements
Associative discrimination, such as someone being avoided for associating with PLWHAs
Harassment, through actions that demean the dignity of PLWHAs
Blaming the victim, when a PLWHA who is a victim of discrimination reports to HR. Instead of receiving justice, they are blamed by HR.
What about the stigma and mental pressure on PLWHAs?
Aside from societal stigma, PLWHAs also experience psychosocial pressures or reactions, which are:
Anxiety about the illness they suffer from, treatment, even threats of death
Depression, feeling sad, powerless, guilty, worthless, hopeless, and even suicidal due to their HIV/AIDS status
Isolation and lack of social support, feeling rejected by family and society
Anger, manifesting hostility towards caregivers, and rejecting ARV therapy due to lack of self-acceptance
Fear of others knowing their HIV/AIDS status
Shame due to the negative stigma of being an HIV/AIDS patient
Read also: Other articles related to Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
What is the role of education in combating stigma against PLWHAs in the workplace?
“But, if I get close to PLWHAs, I might get infected.”
The fact is, HIV is not transmitted through touch, tears, sweat, saliva, urine, or even feces of the infected person. According to WHO, HIV can be transmitted through the exchange of various bodily fluids from an infected person, such as blood, breast milk, semen, and vaginal fluids.
HIV can also be transmitted from a mother to her child during pregnancy and childbirth. Remember, we will not get infected just by hugging, kissing, shaking hands, and sharing eating utensils with PLWHAs.
Misconceptions about PLWHA stigma are also evident in the workplace. Many companies set HIV-free job requirements and terminate employees with HIV/AIDS due to the myth that PLWHAs are weak and frequently sick, thus affecting productivity.
The reality is that by undergoing ARV therapy, PLWHAs can lead productive lives and contribute just like others. ARVs are proven to suppress the amount of HIV virus in the body and restore the immune system.
Is it illegal to fire PLWHAs because of their HIV+ status?
Yes. Tragically, many PLWHAs still face termination due to their HIV/AIDS status. In fact, this violates human rights and the law:
Article 5 paragraph (1) Kep. 68/MEN/IV/2004: “Employers or managers are prohibited from conducting HIV tests to be used as a prerequisite for the recruitment process or continuation of employee status or routine health examination obligations.”
International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights Article 2 paragraph (2) and (3) – ratified through Law No. 11 of 2005: Prohibits all forms of discrimination in accessing and maintaining employment.
How should companies protect PLWHAs?
In fact, employers should have HIV/AIDS handling policies. According to Kep. 20/DJPPK/VI/2005 on the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS in the Workplace, the employer's policy includes:
HIV/AIDS education programs for employees
Not requiring HIV/AIDS testing as a condition for accepting employees, promotions, and continuation of employment status
Not discriminating against employees with HIV/AIDS in terms of job opportunities, promotion rights, training opportunities, or other special treatments
Allowing employees with HIV/AIDS to continue working as long as they medically meet the applicable work standards
Keeping all medical information, health records, or other related information confidential
Employees with HIV/AIDS are not required to disclose their HIV/AIDS status to the company unless they choose to do so.
Thus, a sense of security in the workplace will be felt by all workers in Indonesia. In the context of HIV issues, that sense of security can take the form of a work environment that is friendly and free from stigma and discrimination. The positive impact on economic development will also be felt by the Indonesian government due to high workforce participation.
Let’s celebrate World AIDS Day by supporting the elimination of stigma against PLWHAs in the workplace!
References:
Indonesia. UNAIDS. (2021). Accessed on December 3, 2021, from https://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries/countries/indonesia.
HIV Infodatin. Center for Data and Information of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia. (2020). Accessed on December 3, 2021, from https://pusdatin.kemkes.go.id/resources/download/pusdatin/infodatin/infodatin-2020-HIV.pdf.
Minister of Manpower and Transmigration of the Republic of Indonesia Decree Number KEP. 68/MEN/IV/2004 on the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS in the Workplace. ILO. (2005). Accessed on December 3, 2021, from https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—asia/—ro-bangkok/—ilo-jakarta/documents/publication/wcms_123956.pdf.
Minister of Manpower and Transmigration of the Republic of Indonesia. UNAIDS. (2004). Accessed on December 3, 2021, from https://data.unaids.org/topics/partnership-menus/indonesia_hiv-workplace_id.pdf.
Towards Indonesia Free of AIDS 2030. Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs. (2020). Accessed on December 3, 2021, from https://www.kemenkopmk.go.id/menuju-indonesia-bebas-aids-2030.
Permata, A. (2018). What is Needed is #LovePLWHA, Not Stigma. LBH Community. Accessed on December 3, 2021, from https://lbhmasyarakat.org/yang-dibutuhkan-itu-sayangodha-bukan-stigma/.
HIV/AIDS Programs in the Workplace. ILO. (2020). Accessed on December 3, 2021, from https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—asia/—ro-bangkok/—ilo-jakarta/documents/projectdocumentation/wcms_746744.pdf.
Tristanto, A. (2020). Stigma Towards People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA). Center for Social Counseling. Accessed on December 3, 2021, from https://puspensos.kemensos.go.id/stigma-terhadap-orang-dengan-hiv-dan-aids-odha.
UNAIDS data 2021. UNAIDS. (2021). Accessed on December 3, 2021, from https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2021/2021_unaids_data.
Author: Sasmithaningtyas Prihasti
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