Day: April 11, 2022

The regulations issued and ratified by Indonesia show that the state is protecting women from discrimination, particularly in the employment sector, Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah has said.

“Regulations, ranging from our Constitution to the ratified ILO conventions, show that the state is present to provide protection and prevention against all forms of discrimination against women. Including discrimination in the workplace,” the minister remarked during a virtual discussion on ‘Forum Merdeka Barat 9’ (West Merdeka Forum 9), accessed from here on Monday.

The Manpower Minister cited the examples of several international conventions which have been ratified by Indonesia to promote gender equality, such as Law Number 7 of 1984 about the Ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) convention on wages has also been ratified through the issuance of Law No. 80 of 1957 regarding the Approval of the International Labor Organization Convention No. 100 concerning Equal Pay for Male and Female Workers for Work of Equal Value.

Indonesia has also ratified the ILO convention related to discrimination in employment and occupation through Law No. 21 of 1999 about Ratification of the ILO Convention No. 111 Concerning Discrimination in Respect of Employment and Occupation.

The prevention of discrimination against women has also been stipulated through the issuance of policies such as Presidential Instruction Number 9 of 2000 about Gender Mainstreaming in National Development.

Fauziyah also pointed to Article 27 in the Constitution, which guarantees that every citizen has the right to work and earn a decent living.

She highlighted that the regulations have also assured protection to women workers in terms of reproductive aspects, such as the right to rest during menstruation and after childbirth and a miscarriage.

There is also a prohibition on employing pregnant women in unfavorable conditions, such as making them do night shifts, which could risk or endanger their safety and health.

Source: Antara News

The government has continued to enforce several measures to ensure equal pay for women and men workers, including using a labor watchdog to supervise companies, Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah has said.

One of the ways the Indonesian government is protecting women is the realization of equal wages, Fauziyah said during a virtual discussion on the 9 Merdeka Barat Forum (FMB9) here on Monday.

“In terms of the norms of laws and regulations, we have removed all forms of discrimination including in wages,” she said.

However, she admitted that there are still cases of women workers earning lower wages than men in Indonesia.

According to the minister, data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) has shown that the average wage per month for men workers tends to be higher than for women.

The data has shown that the average monthly wage of men workers was Rp2.9 million in 2021, while that of women workers was Rp2.3 million, Fauziyah said.

She also highlighted that the percentage of women workers in the informal sector was greater than men, with BPS data showing that 63.8 percent of women workers were in the informal sector, and the rest were men workers (56.61 percent).

In the primary sectors that directly process natural resources such as agriculture and mining, the number of men workers was greater at 32.9 percent compared to women at 27.2 percent.

In the secondary sectors such as manufacturing, the percentage of women workers was 15.12 percent, while that of men was 23.66 percent.

Meanwhile, in the tertiary sector, such as the service industry, there were more women workers (57.68 percent) than men (43.44 percent).

“We deploy all of our manpower supervisors spread throughout Indonesia to conduct monitoring in companies that still give different wages to men and women,” Fauziyah said.

Source: Antara News

ASEAN nations agreed to utilize the economic recovery momentum to push for financial stability and integration during the 8th Joint Meeting of the ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (AFMGM).

In an official statement issued on Monday, Bank Indonesia’s Communication Department Executive Director Erwin Haryono said that ASEAN nations emphasized the commitment to strengthen cooperation during the meeting.

This would mitigate economic risks and challenges during the post-COVID-19 period and amid climate change, digital disruptions, and geopolitical tensions.

Representatives of ASEAN nations who participated in the meeting agreed on several priority efforts to encourage financial stability and integration in ASEAN.

One of the efforts is encouraging further integration in the regional financial services sector, including by upgrading the Annex on Financial Services within the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA).

ASEAN nations also warmly welcomed the resolution of the study on ASEAN member states (AMS) entitled Financial Landscape Toward Furthering ASEAN Banking Integration in the Digital Era.

In addition, they also welcomed the Cross-Border QR Code Payment Linkages initiative and the issuance of ASEAN Taxonomy version 1.

The ASEAN central bank initiative to strengthen the sustainable finance agenda through the formation of two work streams under the Senior Level Committee Task Force (SLC-TF) also received support.

“ASEAN nations will also continue the commitment to improve financial inclusion through the strengthening of access, utilization, and quality of financial services within their region,” Haryono said.

At the AFMGM meeting, the national representatives also lauded the achievement of exclusion average level in ASEAN, which has exceeded the target.

Moreover, they welcomed the issuance of the Policy Note on Digital Financial Literacy and Measuring Progress 2021: Financial Inclusion in Selected ASEAN Countries, which supports the move to improve financial inclusion as a whole.

“The completion of the Policy Note on Capital Account Safeguard Measures Recent Experiences and its submission to the International Monetary Fund to enrich the discussion on the Integrated Policy Framework from the perspective of ASEAN member nations was also lauded,” he noted.

The adaptation within the meeting was also obtained from the perspective of several international institutions and business world organizations.

The institutions comprised the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB), ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

Meanwhile, the business world organizations consisted of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, EU-ASEAN Business Council, and US-ASEAN Business Council.

Source: Antara News

The Manpower Ministry has appealed to companies to pay the 2022 Eid al-Fitr allowance (THR) to their employees promptly and has said that it expects companies with high profits to increase the allowance.

Secretary-general of the ministry Anwar Sanusi in a statement received here on Monday, said that the appeal was made after the ministry issued Circular Number M/1/HK.04/IV/2022 on April 6, 2022, regarding the implementation of THR in 2022.

“THR will be more enjoyable for workers/laborers as the prices of basic necessities have increased recently. More THR will also make workers more enthusiastic and productive when they return to work after celebrating Eid al-Fitr,” he added.

Sanusi said that companies have been advised to pay THR without delay. In addition, companies with high profits and expansion have been advised to provide more THR to workers.

He expressed the hope that, like in the previous year, the implementation of the 2022 THR provision would be carried out effectively. One of the efforts made by the ministry to ensure this is the establishment of a virtual THR command post to assist workers and employers.

The post will also serve as a place for people to seek consultations and make complaints concerning the implementation of THR in 2022.

In addition to providing help virtually, the Ministry of Manpower has also provided face-to-face complaint and consultation services.

Sanusi said he hoped that the THR command post would become a support for the implementation of THR provision. He further said he expected all complaints and consultations would be responded to well.

“It is hoped that the THR command post, which has been prepared virtually, will be used by the provincial, district, and city Manpower Offices to convey to companies in their area so that we can monitor how complaints and consultations are submitted to https://poskothr.kemnaker.go.id,” he added.

Source: Antara News

The National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) dispatched 557 Family Assistance Teams (TPK) in Banyuasin District, South Sumatra, to prevent stunting in children.

“These teams are tasked with providing assistance to teenagers or prospective brides, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children up to 59 months, so that they have ample comprehension in preventing stunting,” Head of the National Population and Family Planning Agency, Hasto Wardoyo, stated in Tabuan Asri Village, Pulau Rimau Sub-district, Banyuasin District, on Monday.

Wardoyo remarked that the 557 teams comprised 1,671 personnel, with each team having midwives, family empowerment and welfare (PKK) cadres, and family planning cadres. The selection was aimed at lowering the stunting rate in the area in accordance with President Joko Widodo’s directives to aim for 14 percent by 2024.

Banyuasin District recorded a stunting rate of 22 percent in children. It was actually below the national stunting rate capped at 24.4 percent. However, this translated to the fact that 22 children in the district were confirmed to still have stunted growth.

The agency dispatched the teams to assist in the progress, as stunting negatively impacted the quality of the future generations.

Among the effects were the inability to grow to an optimal height, low intellectual abilities, and being prone to contracting diseases when they reach an old age.

Wardoyo highlighted that stunting caused children to be susceptible to central obesity in future and increased their susceptibility to diseases, such as high blood pressure, stroke, or diabetes.

Predisposition to these three conditions was due to the fact that the children did not receive adequate nutrition coupled with the lack of immunizations and poor parenting patterns during the first thousand days of life.

A poor parenting pattern resulted in unhappy children, which lead to little to no appetite, and so the stunted condition, he elaborated.

He urged prospective newlyweds to follow the regulations set by the Religious Affairs Ministry regarding health checks three months prior to marriage.

The measure aims to gauge the health condition of brides and grooms, and if found to be less than ideal, then the team would help them. For instance, the mother must have an arm circumference of 23 centimeters and hemoglobin (Hb) level of 11.5.

Wardoyo emphasized that this examination made it possible to know the readiness of the prospective mother to be able to conceive even before getting married.

“Mr. Religious Affairs Minister has declared that all (spouses-to-be) must undergo check-up before getting married. If the results are not healthy, they are still getting married but are assisted by the teams for three months. Hence, do not just think about pre-wedding, pre-conception is important,” he concluded.

Source: Antara News

The Religious Affairs Ministry has urged associations of Umrah Travel Organizers (PPIU) and Special Hajj Organizers (PIHK) to participate in disseminating the latest policy from the government of Saudi Arabia regarding Hajj pilgrimage requirements in 2022.

“I ask for help from the PPIU or PIHK to be able to disseminate information to pilgrims,” director general of Hajj and Umrah organizers at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Hilman Latief, said in a written statement received here on Monday.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia had announced that the 2022 Hajj would be attended by one million pilgrims from various countries.

Although it has opened Hajj pilgrimage for foreign pilgrims, Saudi Arabia has laid down two conditions. First, pilgrims must be a maximum of 65 years old and have received a complete dose of COVID-19 vaccination approved by the Saudi Ministry of Health.

Second, pilgrims traveling from abroad must have a certificate showing negative PCR results, with the test taken no more than 72 hours prior to departure.

He said that the pilgrimage requirement related to the maximum age must be disseminated to older adults. The associations must educate them that there are prospective pilgrims who can depart and those who cannot depart yet, he added.

He admitted that initially, the ministry had prepared a scenario prioritizing elderly pilgrims. However, the Saudi Arabian government has set the maximum age at 65 years.

Meanwhile, regarding the quota, he affirmed that the ministry is still waiting for an official announcement from Saudi Arabia. Nevertheless, he asserted, the government is ready to send whatever quota will be given later.

“Create a narrative to encourage our prospective (Hajj) pilgrims who, Inshallah (if God wills), will depart this year. We must also encourage those who will depart next year,” he remarked.

Source: Antara News

Head of the Bali Regional National Crafts Council (Dekranasda) Putri Suastini Koster said she expects the implementation of the 8th Miss Global event in the province to promote Balinese customs and culture to the world.

“We ask the committee to coordinate with related agencies (in implementing the event). For instance, if the committee wants to present quality Balinese dance performances, they should coordinate with the Bali Provincial Culture Office,” she said in a statement issued here on Monday.

She met with national director, Miss Global Indonesia, Kishanty Hardaningtyas, on April 10, 2022.

Bali province has been chosen as the venue for the 8th Miss Global event, which will be attended by representatives of 85 countries.

The global beauty pageant is planned to be held at Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center (BNDCC), Badung district, Bali province, from May 31 to June 11, 2022.

Koster, who is also head of the Family Welfare Development (PKK) Encouragement Team, has lauded and voiced support for the event, which is expected to accelerate the economic recovery of the Balinese people.

“Through the event, we can show the world the condition of tourism in Bali province, which is gradually recovering,” she said.

In addition to traditional dance performances, the provincial government of Bali is also ready to support and coordinate to implement other supporting activities to make the prestigious event a success.

Bali Dekranasda head, who is also the wife of Bali Governor I Wayan Koster, will invite Miss Global participants to visit the Balinese Small and Medium Industry (IKM) Revival Exhibition to view the handicrafts of Balinese micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSMEs) actors.

“Thus, the implementation of Miss Global event in Bali province can have a positive impact, not only for the tourism sector, but also for local MSMEs,” she said.

Source: Antara News

The “Model OIC International Relations (IR) Academy” project, which has been successfully implemented in Azerbaijan for 11 years, has been started once again. The first lecture program of the project is organized by the Eurasian Regional Center of Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF-ERC) in partnership with Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Young people selected from hundreds of applied students and representing different universities of Azerbaijan as Baku State University, Academy of Public Administration, Azerbaijan University of Languages etc. will take part in weekly lectures for 2 months and then in the “Model OIC” Council of Foreign Ministers simulation.

At the opening ceremony Acting Director General of ICYF-ERC Mr. Vusal Gurbanov first thanked the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan as a partner of the project, as well as Baku State University for its organizational support during the program. Then, Mr. Gurbanov gave detailed information about the project’s goals and lecture topics. Further, the Vice Rector for International Relations of Baku State University Mr. Shahin Panahov praised the cooperation between the university and ICYF-ERC within this program. The representative of Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF) Mr. Yunus Cholak joined the program in an online format and informed participants about the International Model OIC.

Then, the guest lecturers of the program, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Palestine to Azerbaijan, Mr. Nasser Abdul Karim Abdul Rahim and Vice Rector of ADA University, Mr. Fariz Ismayilzade accordingly made a presentation on “Muslim World and Palestinian Issue” and “Modern Diplomacy and the role of Azerbaijani diplomacy in the Karabakh War”. During the program, lecturers answered various questions of participants.

It should be noted that, the main objectives of the Model OIC IR Academy project are to support the strengthening of international cooperation among the OIC youth, to help young people and members of youth organizations in gaining new knowledge and experience in diplomacy, management and communication. After two months of lectures, students will take part in the Model OIC Council of Foreign Ministers simulation. At the end, selected participants with foreign language skills and specific abilities will get the chance to represent Azerbaijan in the International Model OIC.

Over the past years, Azerbaijani students several times have represented our country in the “International Model OIC” simulations, which covered the whole OIC space and attended by representatives of more than 40 OIC member countries.

This year, ICYF-ERC also plans to organize the Model OIC IR Academy project in Pakistan, Republic of Tatarstan (Russia), Indonesia and Central Asian countries.

Source: TREND News Agency