"It has become our responsibility to ensure all work sectors are female-friendly. In this way, let us work together to encourage gender mainstreaming efforts in the mining sector. Let us speak out the spirit of gender equality for the progress of this nation," Puspayoga remarked in a press statement released on Tuesday.
Gender mainstreaming in the workplace is not only for the benefit of women, but is also correlated to a company's progress, she said.
Gender mainstreaming efforts also benefit companies in the form of increased productivity, employee performance, and increased profits, the minister explained.
"The gender equality that we aspire toward has not yet been achieved. Women are still left behind in terms of accessibility and equal roles in development. They have not received the same development benefits as men. In fact, development in all sectors should prioritize the principle of equality and efforts to mainstream gender, including in the mining sector," she added.
Women have special needs, including from the physiological perspective, such as menstruation, pregnancy, and breastfeeding, and special and specific strategies are required to accommodate these needs, Puspayoga said.
Therefore, it is important for companies to fulfill the rights based on women's special needs, she emphasized.
"Women's special needs in the workplace have often become obstacles for them in choosing a certain profession, especially in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, which are still considered as male jobs, such as in the mining industry. We should not label any type of work with gender," the minister added.
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Translator: Anita Permata D, Resinta S
Editor: Suharto
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