Jakarta Public Participation Deputy at the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Indra Gunawan pressed for collective effort in order to create a safe and friendly environment for working women.
“These efforts are made through various campaigns in the working world and also several places,” he noted through a press statement on Friday.
The ministry seeks to invite people to collectively break the bias and build new values on how to support women to be able work and play a role in society, he affirmed.
Bias against working women is factually very harmful for womankind, he emphasized.
“Several biases still exist around us. Several impacts of these biases and perception towards women, include the prevalence of violence against women,” he noted.
In 2021, the Women and Children Protection Online Information System (SIMFONI PPA) recorded 415 cases of violence at the workplace, with 233 victims being adult women.
“These were only the ones that were recorded or reported,” Gunawan stated.
Similar to other cases of violence, violence at the workplace is an iceberg phenomenon, as it is estimated that there are many more victims who experience violence at the workplace, though they do not dare to report it.
According to the International Labour Organization report in 2017, violence and harassment at the workplace also had negative impacts on various parties, starting from a decline in work motivation and productivity.
These occurred both for employees, who became the victims, and the people, who witnessed acts of violence and harassment at their workplaces.
These certainly affect the company’s service quality as well as image.
Currently, the ministry has initiated the Women and Children Friendly (SAPA) 129 telephone service to help the people to report violence that they encountered and experienced, Gunawan added.
The government has also provided the Women and Children Protection Regional Technical Acting Unit (UPTD PPA) in 34 provinces and 204 districts or cities.
These units are ready to provide assistance to all people, especially women and children.
Source: Antara News