"As many as 9.68 percent of Indonesian women are living below the poverty line. The figure is higher compared to the percentage of men (living below the poverty line), namely 9.40 percent," expert staff on poverty handling to the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister, Titi Eko Rahayu, said here on Friday.
She made the statement at the "Inspiring Women Out of Poverty" media talk event.
Rahayu noted that poverty is often associated with women because, in poor communities, the condition of women is an indicator of lower welfare.
"Based on various analyses, in poor families, the indicators of the quality of human resources among women are indeed lower than for men," she said.
She further said that the impact of poverty is more significantly felt by women. The poverty experienced by women, according to her, is cross-generational.
The Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection also highlighted how women's wages that are lower than men's.
Based on data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), in 2022, the average monthly wage for women was Rp2,593,709, (around US$169.98), or around 78 percent of the average wage received by men.
"The factor that causes the wage gap is related to the reference, where, in general, women prefer jobs that are flexible," she said.
She further attributed this to the domestic role of women. Their need for flexibility in work that allows them to still perform domestic chores affects the wages that women receive.
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Translator: Anita Permata, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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