Protecting the rights of women in palm oil plantations

GAPKI, HUKATAN and CNV International launch practical manual

On March 23, the booklet  Perlindungan Hak-Hak Pekerja Perempuan Di Perkebunan Sawit (  "Protecting the rights of women workers in palm oil plantations" )  was launched during an online event with more than 200 participants and speakers from the Indonesian Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, palm oil producer Cargill and trade union KAMIPARHO .

With the practical manual, the Indonesian Palm Oil Association GAPKI, the trade union HUKATAN and CNV International will work together to improve the working conditions of female workers in palmoil.

Joint study

The manual is the result of a joint study by GAPKI, HUKATAN and CNV International into the working conditions of female plantation workers in Lampung, South Sumatra.

A world to be won 

Compliance with the labor rights of women workers is lacking, the study found. There is a world to be won to better meet their needs. Female employees are often paid less than their male colleagues, they are at risk of being fired during pregnancy or no suitable work is offered during pregnancy. In addition, women have many caring responsibilities besides work. By providing childcare at work, for example, women can more easily combine work and care.

Win-win

The practical manual offers palm oil companies tools to work on improving the working conditions of female employees. This not only benefits the employees, but also the companies. Satisfied employees are often more productive and less likely to switch jobs. The number of occupational accidents and disputes also often decreases. Moreover, it also has a positive effect on the image of the company. The manual also shows that constructive cooperation between trade unions and employer organizations is possible.

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