Let us collaborate to promote women's participation in the workforce, including by investing in the early childhood education service ecosystem as well as an inclusive, universal, and high-quality childcare.Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Bintang Puspayoga encouraged the realization of high-quality and inclusive childcare services to increase the number of women entering the world of work.
"We have to raise awareness of all development sectors that are effective, and full participation of women is the key to a strong and sustainable economy," she said in a statement, Friday.
"This can only occur if we eliminate structural obstacles that hinder them, such as by investing in childcare economy," she remarked.
The Workforce Participation Rate (TPAK) of women in Indonesia still lags as compared to that of men, she stated.
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"Indonesian women's TPAK experiences a stagnation for around 20 years," she stated.
As of February 2022, women's TPAK was only 54 percent as compared to that of their male counterparts that had reached 84 percent.
"In order for women to enter the workforce, they continue to experience problems, such as facing various (forms of) discrimination and inequalities at the work place," she said.
Puspayoga believes this is caused by the unpaid childcare service that women had to undertake.
This is despite the fact that women have the potential to encourage Indonesia's national economic recovery, she remarked.
The minister stressed that investment in childcare economy can improve the prosperity of women and the public in general.
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"Moreover, high-quality and inclusive childcare service will improve children's health, cognitive capability, and psychosocial development, which in the end, will also open the road to a more quality generation," she noted.
Puspayoga's ministry, within the G20 Ministerial Conference on Women's Empowerment, also raised the issue of childcare economy as one of the three discussion focuses in August 2022.
"All parties and development sectors should work together," she said.
"Let us collaborate to promote women's participation in the workforce, including by investing in the early childhood education service ecosystem as well as an inclusive, universal, and high-quality childcare," she stated.
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Translator: Anita Permata D, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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