Evaluating the Effectiveness of Law No. 18/2017 in Protecting Female Migrant Workers: A Legal Analysis
Main Article Content
Abstract
Indonesian women migrant workers play an important role in the national economy, particularly through remittances, but they often face a variety of challenges, including exploitation, harassment, and rights violations. To address this problem, the Indonesian government enacted Law No. 18 of 2017, which aims to provide better legal protection for migrant workers, with special emphasis on women. This study uses a qualitative approach to analyze the legal protection provided to Indonesian women migrant workers based on Law No. 18 of 2017, by integrating a comprehensive review of legal texts, relevant case studies, and secondary literature. The study explores the strengths and limitations of the provisions of the law, focusing on protections related to recruitment, working conditions abroad, and post-return support. Although the legal framework is comprehensive, significant challenges remain in its implementation, such as inadequate awareness among migrant workers of their rights, weak law enforcement mechanisms in destination countries, and persistent exploitation and harassment. This article identifies critical gaps in the practical application of the law, including a lack of pre-departure training, inadequate monitoring mechanisms in host countries, and limited legal aid available to victims of abuse. Based on these findings, the study offers several recommendations, such as improving pre-departure education, strengthening bilateral agreements with host countries, and expanding support systems for victims. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for increased law enforcement and international cooperation to ensure that these legal objectives are achieved.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
[1] L. Husni, R. R. Cahyowati, And Mansur, “Legal Protection For Indonesian Migrant Workers Based On Law Number 18 Of 2017,” J. Leg. Ethical Regul. Issues, Vol. 23, Pp. 1 – 6, 2020, [Online].
[2] A. A. Muthia, “Legal Protection For Illegal Migrant Domestic Workers Under The Asean Regulations And Its Implication For Indonesia,” Indones. J. Int. Law, Vol. 17, No. 3, Pp. 307 – 326, 2020, Doi: 10.17304/Ijil.Vol17.3.788.
[3] M. F. Juddi, S. Perbawasari, And F. Zubair, “The Communication Flow In The Protection Of Indonesian Female Migrant Workers Through The Migrant Worker Family Community (Kkbm),” J. Int. Womens. Stud., Vol. 22, No. 5, Pp. 19 – 37, 2021, [Online].
[4] D. Rahayu, “Is The State Of Indonesia In Charge To Provide Law Protection To The Indonesian Migrant Workers?,” J. Phys. Conf. Ser., Vol. 953, No. 1, 2018, Doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/953/1/012131.
[5] F. Sari, Sapriya, N. Supriatna, H. Mulyadi, And H. Hasanuddin, “Woman Creativepreneurship Based On Minangkabau Culture,” J. Arbitrer, Vol. 11, No. 1, Pp. 60–71, 2024, Doi: 10.25077/Ar.11.1.60-71.
[6] P. P. Januraga, J. Mooney‐Somers, H. A. Gesesew, And P. R. Ward, “The Logic Of Condom Use In Female Sex Workers In Bali, Indonesia,” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, Vol. 17, No. 5, 2020, Doi: 10.3390/Ijerph17051627.
[7] Suryaningsih, S. A. Nulhaqim, M. Fedryansyah, And Y. S. Sugandi, “Employment Opportunities And Social Networks Of Indonesian Women Migrant Workers At The Border,” J. Law Sustain. Dev., Vol. 11, No. 2, Pp. 1–16, 2023, Doi: 10.55908/Sdgs.V11i2.403.
[8] T. C. Dawood, H. Pratama, R. Masbar, And R. Effendi, “Does Financial Inclusion Alleviate Household Poverty? Empirical Evidence From Indonesia,” Econ. Sociol., Vol. 12, No. 2, Pp. 235–252, 2019, Doi: 10.14254/2071-789x.2019/12-2/14.
[9] W. Handoko, A. I. Sulaiman, T. Sugito, And A. Sabiq, “Empowering Former Women Migrant Workers: Enhancing Socioeconomic Opportunities And Inclusion For Sustainable Development,” Acad. J. Interdiscip. Stud., Vol. 13, No. 1, Pp. 199–210, 2024, Doi: 10.36941/Ajis-2024-0015.
[10] R. Shivakoti, S. Henderson, And M. Withers, “The Migration Ban Policy Cycle: A Comparative Analysis Of Restrictions On The Emigration Of Women Domestic Workers,” Comp. Migr. Stud., Vol. 9, No. 1, 2021, Doi: 10.1186/S40878-021-00250-4.
[11] T. Lam And B. S. A. Yeoh, “Madres Migrantes, Padres Dejados Atrás: La Negociación De Las Subjetividades De Género En Indonesia Y Las Filipinas,” Gender, Place Cult., Vol. 25, No. 1, Pp. 104–117, 2018, Doi: 10.1080/0966369x.2016.1249349.
[12] Pemerintah Indonesia, “Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia No. 18 2017 Perlindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia,” Pemerintah Indones., 2017.
[13] Y. W. Chan And N. Piper, “Home-Bound Precarity: Home Violence On Return Indonesian Migrant Domestic Workers,” J. Ethn. Migr. Stud., No. May, 2024, Doi: 10.1080/1369183x.2024.2346617.
[14] R. Khairazi, “Strengthening Regulations In Protecting Indonesian Migrant Workers Before Departing To The Destination Country,” Udayana J. Law Cult., Vol. 5, No. 1, Pp. 41 – 57, 2021, Doi: 10.24843/Ujlc.2021.V05.I01.P03.
[15] Suryaningsih, S. A. Nulhaqim, M. Fedryansyah, And Y. S. Sugandi, “Employment Opportunities And Social Networks Of Indonesian Women Migrant Workers At The Border,” J. Law Sustain. Dev., Vol. 11, No. 2, 2023, Doi: 10.55908/Sdgs.V11i2.403.
[16] J. Lee Et Al., “Differential Impacts Of Health Systems And Sociocultural Environment On Vulnerable Populations During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Lessons From Four Asia-Pacific Countries,” Bmc Public Health, Vol. 24, No. 1, Pp. 1–13, 2024, Doi: 10.1186/S12889-024-18949-1.
[17] F. Hasdianti And J. D. Imelda, “The Role Of Coping Strategy And Legal Protection On Migrant Workers: A Literature Review,” J. Ius Kaji. Huk. Dan Keadilan, Vol. 10, No. 3, Pp. 462–474, 2022, Doi: 10.29303/Ius.V10i3.908.
[18] W. V. Izziyana Et Al., “Legal Protection Of Health Rights For Indonesian Migrant Workers Abroad,” Indian J. Public Heal. Res. Dev., Vol. 10, No. 6, Pp. 764 – 768, 2019, Doi: 10.5958/0976-5506.2019.01370.6.
[19] C. Wang And J. Huang, “Desiring Homeland: The Return Of Indonesian Chinese Women To Maoist China,” Asian Pacific Migr. J., Vol. 29, No. 2, Pp. 163–185, 2020, Doi: 10.1177/0117196820931314.
[20] B. C. Somaiah And B. S. A. Yeoh, “Temporal Emotion Work, Gender And Aspirations Of Left-Behind Youth In Indonesian Migrant-Sending Villages,” J. Youth Stud., Vol. 26, No. 1, Pp. 1–18, 2023, Doi: 10.1080/13676261.2021.1952170.
[21] I. Santosa, A. Rokhman, A. Sabiq, And I. Y. Hutasuhut, “Empowering Undocumented Indonesian Migrant Workers In Sarawak Through Social Capital Enhancement,” Pakistan J. Life Soc. Sci., Vol. 22, No. 2, Pp. 12672 – 12684, 2024, Doi: 10.57239/Pjlss-2024-22.2.00905.
[22] A. A. Indradewi And Y. P. Ginting, “Legal Protection For Indonesian Migrant Workers In International Human Trafficking Syndicates,” Unes Law Rev., Vol. 6, No. 4, Pp. 9968–9976, 2024.
[23] R. Nordin And R. Jeyabalan, “Protection Of The Rights Of The Victims Of Human Trafficking: Has Malaysia Done Enough?,” J. Southeast Asian Hum. Rights, Vol. 3, No. 2, Pp. 300–316, 2019, Doi: 10.19184/Jseahr.V3i2.9231.
[24] E. Dewi And S. Yazid, “Protecting Indonesia’s Women Migrant Workers From The Grassroots: A Story Of Paguyuban Seruni*,” J. Indian Ocean Reg., Vol. 13, No. 1, Pp. 76 – 91, 2017, Doi: 10.1080/19480881.2016.1272812.