Author:
Co-Authors ⁄ Presenters: Alex de Ruyter, Sri Daryanti
Gender and Informal Work in Urban Area in Indonesia: Policy Issues and Challenges. (Work in Progress)
This paper analyzes the working conditions of informal workers in the informal sector in Indonesia, and what has been done to improve the well being of the workers by key stakeholders (government, unions, community groups, families and individuals). In urban community, informal sector mostly appears in the form of informal vendors such as owners and workers of small retailers, street vendors (pedagang kaki lima) and/or traders in traditional markets.
Our preliminary findings indicate that work conditions for street vendors in Jakarta are extremely precarious, with respondents typically living at the poverty line or just above. Street vendors work in unhealthy and unsafe working environment as they offer their products on the pavement of the polluted and busy (main) streets.
The female street vendors do this job as they have to help their husband get additional income for the family while some of them are the sole ‘bread runners’. Family and neighbours play the main roles as the ‘last resource’ when they need financial assistance. Government-initiated programs are not very effective due to red-tape problems, including corruption.