dw.com
Exploitation of Female Garment Workers in Indonesia
Indonesia's garment industry, supplying major brands, faces widespread exploitation of its predominantly female workforce, with workers enduring unrealistic targets, forgoing breaks, and carrying dual burdens of work and family care, leading to significant physical and mental health impacts and highlighting power imbalances and a culture of silence.
- How do cultural norms and power imbalances within Indonesian households exacerbate the exploitation of female garment workers?
- The issue connects to broader patterns of gender inequality and economic exploitation in global supply chains. Many female workers pay brokers to secure jobs, highlighting systemic issues within the industry and a lack of employer intervention. The resulting stress and lack of rest contribute to work accidents.
- What are the immediate consequences of the widespread exploitation and gender-based violence faced by female garment workers in Indonesia?
- Indonesia's garment industry, employing 5,000 companies and supplying major brands, faces widespread exploitation of its predominantly female workforce. Workers endure unrealistic targets, forgoing breaks, and carry dual burdens of work and family care, impacting their well-being. This exploitation is exacerbated by power imbalances and a culture of silence.
- What systemic changes are needed to address the deep-rooted issues contributing to the exploitation of female garment workers in Indonesia's textile industry, and what role can international brands play?
- Future impacts may include increased activism and regulatory pressure on brands to improve labor practices in Indonesia. Addressing the systemic issues requires tackling deep-rooted cultural norms and promoting gender equality within households and workplaces. This will likely involve collaboration between unions, brands, and the Indonesian government.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The framing centers on the plight of female garment workers, which is appropriate given the subject matter. However, the focus on exploitation and gender-based violence might overshadow other important aspects of the Indonesian textile industry, such as its economic significance or the efforts of some companies to improve working conditions. The headline, if it existed, would likely strongly influence the reader's perception.
Language Bias
The language used is largely neutral and objective, although words like "exploitation" and "violence" are inherently charged. However, these terms accurately reflect the serious nature of the issues discussed. The article avoids overly emotional or inflammatory language.
Bias by Omission
The article focuses heavily on the exploitation and gender-based violence faced by female garment workers in Indonesia, but it omits discussion of potential efforts by the Indonesian government or other organizations to address these issues. While it mentions the ILO and Komnas Perempuan, it doesn't detail their specific actions or their effectiveness. Additionally, the article doesn't explore the perspectives of factory owners or managers, limiting a full understanding of the challenges involved in improving working conditions. This omission could lead readers to a skewed understanding of the complexity of the problem.