“The 2024 Annual Report from Komnas Perempuan notes that women workers in the education sector, including teachers, are prone to gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, and violence in their work relations,” said Komnas Perempuan member Devi Rahayu in a statement from Jakarta on Tuesday, commenting on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day.
This underscores that efforts to improve teachers’ welfare cannot be separated from the fight against gender-based violence in educational settings.
“Ironically, many teachers still work as contract or honorary staff, earning wages far below a decent living standard — even lower than daily wages for unskilled labor,” Devi Rahayu added.
This situation highlights the government’s lack of attention to teacher welfare, despite Article 28C(1) and Article 28D(2) of the 1945 Constitution guaranteeing citizens’ rights to education and a decent livelihood.
Furthermore, Law No. 14 of 2005 on Teachers and Lecturers emphasizes that teachers are entitled to adequate income and social welfare guarantees.
According to data from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemenristekdikti), Indonesia had approximately 3.19 million teachers in the first semester of the 2024/2025 academic year, with 2,185,396 (72%) being female and 834,384 (28%) male.
“These figures demonstrate the significant role of teachers, particularly women, in driving Indonesia’s education sector. With the majority being female, the teaching profession also reflects ongoing gender inequality in the workforce,” Devi Rahayu explained.
She further noted that female teachers often bear a double burden, balancing professional responsibilities at school with domestic duties at home — work that is seldom recognized as productive labor.
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Translator: Dewi, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Primayanti
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