Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Jakarta – A demonstration was held by women's groups in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Jakarta on the afternoon of Wednesday March 8 to coincide with International Women's Day (IWD).
During the action, the protesters demanded to meet with DPR Speaker Puan Maharani and the DPR leadership. They also asked that the Draft Law on the Protection of Domestic Workers (RUU PPRT) be ratified immediately.
The participants of the action also brought campaign materials in the form of a banner with a picture of Maharani on it that was installed on the DPR entrance gate with the message "1,000 Women are Looking for Mbak [Sister] Puan, Our Hope in the Speaker and DPR Leadership is to immediately #InisiatifkanRUUPPRT&SahkanRUUPPRT [Initiate and enact the RUU PPRT]".
In addition to this, the demonstrators brought kitchen implements such as pans and ladles to the action.
In a speech, action coordinator Mutiara Ika from Perempuan Mahardhika (Free Women) said that the protest today coinciding with IWD was held with the aim of supporting the RUU PPRT.
"We stand together with PRT [domestic workers], because injuring a PRT is the same as injuring us", said Ika.
Hundreds of people took part in the action, the majority of which were women, which was watched over by police. Razor wire could also be seen installed around the DPR building to protect the parliamentary complex.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Peringati Hari Perempuan Internasional, Massa Tuntut DPR Sahkan RUU PPRT".]