Women in Indonesia's textile industry seek more rights

Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest economy, is one of the world's major textile producing nations. The country's 5,000 large and medium garment and textile companies supply many of the world's notable fashion brands, such as Tommy Hilfiger, Uniqlo and Calvin Klein.

Yet, its garment workforce, which is predominately female, faces widespread exploitation and gender-based violence. 

Power imbalances, a culture of silence in the workplace along with unrealistic production targets, make female workers particularly vulnerable. Many even forgo breaks in order to hit their targets. 

Upon returning home, they are still responsible for caring for their families — a dual burden that significantly impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.

Championing female workers in Indonesia

Didit Saleh and Nitya Swastika, members of Indonesia's Trade Union Rights Center (TURC), recently visited Germany to advocate for female workers' rights in Indonesia.

TURC was founded in 2004 to educate workers about trade unions and labor rights in Indonesia.

"We want to ensure that brand owners can guarantee better and fairer treatment for female workers, especially in terms of occupational health and safety," Saleh told DW.

TURC's research shows that in small villages, factory jobs with major brands are considered prestigious, leading many people to pay brokers to secure factory jobs.

The companies, which are aware of such practices, do to little to prohibit or curb the practice.

"To secure employment, some individuals are willing to pay up to 10 million Indonesian Rupiahs [$630, €598]. However, after starting work, they realize the situation is not as favorable as they had imagined," Swastika told DW.

Dual roles, double burdens for female workers

"We want the public here [in Germany] to be aware of the real situation in Indonesia. Here, brands may only have large offices, not factories with 50,000 workers," Swastika said. "Therefore they often do not know the real situation in their supplier's factories."

Swastika also highlighted the complex dimensions of violence and oppression against women. 

Research by TURC found that since most of the workers are women, many men have become unemployed or work irregular, low-income jobs. In many cases, male household members still refuse to share domestic duties, citing cultural norms.

This imbalance often leaves female workers — who often bear the dual burden of being the main breadwinner while managing household responsibilities — with limited rest and significant stress.

"As a result, female workers are not focused on their work and often experience work accidents," Swastika said, adding that they struggle to engage with unions because many union members are men.

"Even if there are female workers who wish to be active in the union, they face opposition from their partners, who object or disagree and do not allow it," she said.

Attention has been drawn to gender-based violence in Indonesia following campaigns by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and other groups.

Obstacles to female union membership

Satyawanti Mashudi, from the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), stated on the commission's website that various trade unions have reported gender-based discrimination in the industry against female workers, particularly regarding differences in wage structures and promotions.

Female workers also face violations of their rights related to freedom of association and encounter difficulties in obtaining permission to participate in union activities for female union administrators.

There are negative perceptions regarding women joining labor unions.

"In some areas in Central Java, for instance, our research indicates that women who wish to join a labor union must first obtain permission from their husbands," Saleh said.

Another challenge is the stigma around labor unions, often viewed as left-wing and controversial. 

"So, it is considered dangerous," Saleh said. "In some areas, the labor union movement is even considered taboo."

Edited by: Keith Walker