Imung Yuniardi, Semarang – A lack of regulation has been blamed for the rampant exploitation of domestic workers in Central Java, where over 40 percent of recruits are teenage girls, a non-governmental organization (NGO) says.

Siti Nyutiani of Perisai, an NGO providing assistance to domestic workers in Semarang, said the fact that there was no official data on the number of people working in the sector domestically and internationally was proof that workers were not protected by the state.

"The fact that no single government institution has the job description to protect domestic workers further proves this," Siti told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

In fact, domestic workers face various problems ranging from low wages, being forced to work overtime and threats of violence and harassment by their employers.

Perisai data shows many workers in the domestic sector were recruited at 14 years of age and had only graduated from either elementary or junior high school.

Data also showed the lowest wage a domestic worker received was Rp 50,000 (US$5.60) per month in 2005 and Rp 250,000 presently for working eight to nine hours a day. "The lack of regulation has made all the involved parties feel that nothing is wrong," she said.

Nur Hasanah, 20, who works as a domestic worker in Ngaliyan district, Semarang, said the first time she was recruited she was 16 years old and had just graduated from junior high. She said she currently received Rp 500,000 a month plus meals and worked an average of 16 hours a day.

"Don't ask if a contract was signed for this job. As far as I know, none of us, including me, has one. Everything is based on oral agreements," she said.