Amin Muftiyanah: Awakening Women to their Rights

KOMPAS/KORNELIS KEWA AMA

Amin Muftiyanah

Amin Muftiyanah is no stranger to non-industrial and industrial female workers in Yogyakarta. In the 10 years leading up to the establishment of the Annisa Swasti Foundation, thousands of female workers have been empowered to know and fight for their rights. They were also taught how to read and trained in public speaking. Through such activities, the female workers’ welfare is gradually improving.

Amin Muftiyanah accompanied around 1,290 women laborers at Annisa Swasti Foundation (Yasanti). Most were home-based workers aged 30-60 years and came from Bantul regency, Yogyakarta. The group of women was generally illiterate, and knew nothing about social media.

“The local administration may say there is no illiteracy in Yogyakarta Special Region. But the facts in the field show that there are still many women and men who cannot read or write. Such people find it difficult to fight for their rights and publicly voice their aspirations,” Amin said on Saturday (12/08/2018) in Jomegatan, Bantul.

Amin heads Yasanti, which she founded in 1982 along with five colleagues. It is the first non-governmental organization (NGO) in the country that focuses on women’s issues. As the first and oldest women’s NGO, Amin continues to encourage, mobilize and direct staff members to remain focused, serious and persistent in their work to fight for women’s rights, especially those of women workers, who continued to be oppressed and shackled.

In addition to the women laborers, Amin also worked to empower home-based workers. She also advocated on behalf of around 1,200 heavy lifting laborers, of which 400 had joined a union for women laborers.

Under Amin’s leadership, Yasanti has helped around 10,000 female workers and 20,000 female heavy lifting laborers in the decade from 2008 to 2018. They are spread across several companies in Yogyakarta and the surrounding area, as well as at traditional markets such as Beringharjo, Kranggan, Giwangan and Gamping.

Amin carried out field observations and surveys at each market to check that the women really worked as heavy lifting laborers. These women were indeed found to be carrying goods that the market’s merchants sold. They were paid Rp 2,000 to Rp 10,000 per type of good, depending on the distance and weight of the load they carried. The women usually carried loads ranging from 20 to 60 kilograms.

“I looked after this group of women to ensure that they maintained their health and that all parties attended to their rights as laborers. The most alarming condition is that when they are

sick, they do not work. That means they are not paid. The biggest concern are single mothers,” said Amin.

Discrimination

The home-based workers’ situation was similar. She visited the owners of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) after receiving a report, to address a number of problems the workers had experienced. There was discriminatory treatment between women and men home-based workers.

Men were allowed to take as much work and materials home as possible, while the women were restricted, when the women could do the same kind of work as the men. While the work was the same, the wages for the men and women showed a discrepancy: the women were paid much less than the men.

Yasanti communicated these issues in writing and through face-to-face meetings with the MSME owners and their investors. There was no need to hold a rally or a press conference, so as to avoid prolonged dispute between the workers and MSME owners. The NGO prioritizes a personal approach.

This was not all. Women workers in the formal sector (industry) also encountered discriminatory treatment. Sexual harassment occurred on company premises and on the transportation they took to and from the company. The women’s rights were neglected when they took menstrual or maternity leave.

“We received a lot of verbal and written complaints from the female workers, both industrial and non-industrial workers. Women are always at a disadvantage. The women [workers] themselves do not dare to speak up and fight for those rights,” she said.

Amin receives many complaints from the women workers, at least 500 complaints on various issues each year. As soon as Amin receives a complaint, she takes action. The first step is to hold a meeting with the Yasanti staff and a representative of the women workers.

The main objective is to empower women workers so they understand their rights and obligations, and eventually toward eliminating their mistreatment at the company. Then she forms groups of women workers, education and training, advocacy for equal rights, economic empowerment, research and documentation.

Today, around 15,000 home-based workers, laborers and industrial workers are aware of their rights and have joined labor organizations, especially those that represent women workers. Through this platform, they give voice to their aspirations.

Labor welfare is gradually improving. They can help their husbands pay for their children’s education, provide school snacks to their children, cover transportation to and from school, as well as pay for electricity and water, and go shopping at markets. Most of the women belong to the low-wage or working poor groups.

Their wellbeing is still constrained by the Yogyakarta provincial administration’s decision to set

the monthly minimum wage at Rp 1.7 million, and the regency minimum wage is even lower. Bantul regency, for example, has a monthly minimum wage of a mere Rp 1.6 million. In reality, however, most business owners tend to provide wages less than the minimum wage, especially for heavy lifting workers and home-based workers.

Amin says she only assists in providing a bridge for women laborers, policymakers and businesspeople. But beyond this, it all depended heavily on the workers’ own strengths and determination to fight for their rights and futures.

“Although we have been carrying out this activity since 2008, the problem has not been resolved. Every year and period, similar problems always recur. We repeatedly met with several policymakers in this area, including the House of Representatives [DPR] and the Regional Representatives Council [DPD]. The problems we discuss are nearly the same – the empowerment and enforcement of the women workers’ rights,” she said.

Amin Muftiyanah

Born: Magelang, June 16, 1968

Husband: Sumintar

Education: Islamic Boarding School for Community Development, Pabelan, Magelang

Children: Pobby, 10; M Aska Manggala Zudha, 8

Occupation: Director, Annisa Swasti Foundation