Tifa Asrianti, Jakarta – Despite rises in the number of female workers, legal protection of their rights remains weak, female activists say.

Ari Sunarijati, director of the women and children bureau at the Indonesian Labor Federation-Reform, said many businessmen only employed single females.

"The single status means that female workers can't have maternity or child allowances, while married male workers have those allowances," Ari told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Rita Olivia Tambunan, executive secretary of Trade Union Rights Center, said female workers received fewer social benefits compared to their male counterparts.

Rita cited a report by the International Confederation of Trade Unions (ITUC) that showed female workers received lower salaries than male workers. "The gap in salary between female and male workers ranges from 12 to 60 percent," she said.

Rita said some companies forbade menstruation leave and, even if the companies consented, the workers experienced the embarrassment of having to show their sanitary napkins.

"In service sectors, young female workers are forced to sign an agreement to remain unmarried and have no children over a certain period. Also, pregnancy tests during recruitment processes are common," she said.

She added that most companies preferred employing single women to married women to avoid the legal responsibility of maternity benefits.

Ari said companies should also provide expecting workers with enough medicine before and after the pregnancy period."When mothers are healthy, so are the babies. This will help build a healthy next generation. It's not humanity, it's their basic right," she said.

Ari said most female workers were not aware of their basic rights and the labor communities often neglected them as members.

"Female workers usually don't sit on the committees of labor unions. Sometimes female workers who are members are not included in meetings with the industrial owners. As a result, their rights are neglected," Ari said.

Rita said labor unions should apply the same policy as political parties. "There should be a 30 percent quota for female workers in the labor unions' commissioners," she said.