Deputy Chairperson Of The MPR Encourages Increasing Women's Competence In The World Of Work

Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Lestari Moerdijat. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Lestari Moerdijat encourages the improvement of women's competence in the world of work. "Efforts to improve women's competence to enter the world of work must be consistently carried out," he said in a written statement in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Tuesday, May 2. He explained that the opportunity for women's participation in the world of work must continue to be opened. Because, the inequality of participation in the world of men and women is still quite wide. Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the number of female workers in 2022 reached 52.74 million workers in Indonesia. The number of female workers is equivalent to 38.98 percent of the total workers in Indonesia. The largest formal work involving women is the sales force 28.44 percent. In addition, women who work in the agriculture, plantation, livestock, fisheries and forestry sector 24.6 percent. Meanwhile, still based on BPS records in 2022, Indonesian women who work occupy the leadership and implementation level of only 0.78 percent. In addition, women who become implementing officials, administration and the like are 6.2 percent of the female worker population. According to Lestari, efforts to increase women's competence through increasing women's participation in obtaining the highest education will open up wider opportunities and higher management levels for women in the world of work.

Rie, Lestari's nickname, believes that the various obstacles faced by women to get a decent education must be addressed immediately. With more women getting higher educational opportunities, Rerie, who is also a member of Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives, believes that the number of women who have competence in the world of work will continue to grow. In general, he said, occupational safety and health are also the theme of commemorating World Labor Day 2023, which is commemorated on May 1 every year. A safe, healthy work environment and opens the same opportunities for all, said Rerie, are basic rights that must be given to workers in their respective workplaces.