Medan – The commemoration of International Women’s Day in Medan, North Sumatra, was marked by a protest action at the Regional House of Representatives building by hundreds of women workers who said they were victims of discrimination by their employers.

The protesters, who started the action at the Majestic traffic circle, brought a number of posters and banners saying that women workers had yet to receive their full rights. This included discriminative behaviour by companies against women such that experienced by hundreds of workers from the company PT WRP Buana Multicorpora, who also took part in the action. Over the last 10 months the women have been fighting for their rights after being dismissed by the Malaysian owned company.

Yogyakarta

Carrying various kinds of posters and banners, women activists in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta held a march along Jl. Malioboro towards the central post office. The demonstrators criticised the government’s weak commitment in acknowledging women’s rights. This has been demonstrated by the many disparities that still exist between men and women.

At the Gajah Mada University (UGM) traffic circle meanwhile, protesters from the UGM Student Executive Council demonstrated against the many cases of discrimination and violence against women. During the protest they held a ‘mute’ action in which flowers were placed on a grave as a symbol of the death of women’s rights in Indonesia.

Solo

In the Central Java city of Solo, IWD was also commemorated with a protest action. According to demonstrators, there are still many government policies that tend to discriminate against women such as migrant workers, domestic workers and women living in poverty. In addition to giving speeches, the protesters also handed out flowers to the public. (YNI/YUS)

[Slightly abridged translated by James Balowski.]