Linked with Urban Poor Linkage (uplink) – Indonesia.
Lita Anggraini brings marginalized domestic workers back into Indonesian society. She does this by educating workers, raising public awareness of the issues that affect them, and changing the laws so that the state recognizes, appreciates, and protects their rights as workers, persons, citizens, and women—leading to a better situation for domestic workers and their relationship with employers. In a country with more domestic workers than any other in the world, Lita has created an education system that empowers young female workers to take an active role in changing their conditions and societal attitudes toward them. Her goal is to change the way society values the contribution of domestic workers so that their rights as both workers and citizens are protected. To transform deeply ingrained attitudes toward women, women’s work, and the relationships between employers and informal employees, domestic workers must take a leading role. Lita’s new educational system teaches domestic workers life skills; trains them about their rights as workers, women (because the vast majority are women), and citizens; and gives them the skills they need to negotiate fair contracts with their employers. While Lita provides alternative learning opportunities, she has designed her system to encourage young domestic workers to seek more formal educational opportunities as well. The idea that domestic workers should be educated and taught to negotiate written contracts with their employers is new in Indonesia. As a result of her program, workers become more competent and more confident, and employees and employers have begun to communicate about their rights and responsibilities … (full text).
Her Bio also on changemakers.
She says: … « This show is in contrast with the stark reality … the Indonesian term « pembantu, » which means helper rather than worker and is used in the Indonesian title of the show, in itself reinforces the view that maids are not professionals and therefore not entitled to normal worker rights. And in practice Indonesia’s labor laws either don’t apply or are largely ignored when it comes to maids … (full text, 27 July 2005).
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Lita Anggraini – Indonesia
She works for National Network for Domestic Workers Advocacy (JALA PRT – Pekerja Rumah Tangga), named in the report LEGAL REFORM FOR DOMESTIC WORKERS – INDONESIA, october 2005.
… Salaries for domestic workers in Jakarta vary, from Rp 500,000 ($46) to Rp 1 million, on average. The government has set the minimum monthly wage for the Greater Jakarta area at Rp 972, 604. “Household helpers are not covered under the law, because they work in homes and not in factories,” said Lita Anggraini, who chairs the National Network of Domestic Workers Advocacy, or Jala PRT. They are also prone to abuse and exploitation, she said. Household workers “do at least two-thirds of the housework, including taking care of the kids,” Lita said. According to a paper presented by the International Labor Organization in 2007, domestic work in Asia represents the most important source of income for women with low levels of education … (full text, December 30, 2008).
She participates in the Asian Solidarity for Human Rights in Nepal, 1st February 2006.
Hundreds of thousands of young girls employed as domestic helpers in Indonesia are at risk of physical and sexual abuse, much of it due to lack of legal protection from the state … // … Another panelist, Lita Anggraini of Tjoet Njak Dien, a women’s organization, recounted a case in Surabaya as an example of the lack of protection that the law gives to young female domestic helpers … // … (full text, 21 June 2005).
… Separately, Lita Anggraini of Jala PRT domestic workers right NGO said several NGOs had been working on the 30-article bill since 2004. « The law will also specifically regulate housemaids agents so it can stop the exploitation of workers, » Lita said. According to research conducted by the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry and the International Labor Organization in 2007, Indonesia had some 2.6 million housemaids, 688,000 of whom were children under 15 years old. (full textc, February 11, 2009).
Find her and her publications on Google Group-search.
… and there exists a great amount of texts from and about Lita Anggraini in Indonesian language.
links:
Committee for Asian Women CAW, Introduction;
Download:
61st Annual Department of Public Information DPI /Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) Conference: Reaffirming Human Rights for All: The Universal Declaration—60th Anniversary, September 3-5, 2008, UNESCO, Paris, 10 pdf-pages;
RESPECT AND RIGHTS – Protection for domestic/household worker / Protección para Trabajadoras Domésticas/Trabajadoras del Hogar / Protection des travailleuses domestiques/employées de maison, – report of the international conference held in Amsterdam at the headquarters of the FNV trade union federation of the Netherlands, 8-10 November 2006:
- – full text plus Highlights of post conference developments, 40 pdf pages;
- – same, an extract, 26 pdf-pages;
Asian Domestic Workers Network Study Tour, ISIS Center, Quezon City, Philippines, October 3-7, 2005, 26 pdf-pages;
Invisible Cinderellas, December 30, 2008;
Day Two: DPI/NGO Conference at UNESCO, Paris, September 17, 2008;
The book: Indonesia News Service, 5 Sep 2008;
(Worker’s and Migrant’s) Organisations: Name, Objectives, Organising strategy, activities … ;
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Devdelopment: Nepal under Royal Regime, One year of dictatorial rule deepening the national crisis, 01 February 2006;
LEGAL REFORM FOR DOMESTIC WORKERS – INDONESIA, 3-7 October 2005;