Co-funded by the European Union

Indonesia: new Guidelines on Workplace Sexual Harassment

  • On 9 May 2023, the Minister of Manpower ("MoM") issued Decree No. 88 of 2023 on Guidelines for the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, updating the previous guidelines in force since 2011 (MOM Decree No. SE.03/MEN/IV/2011).
  • The Guidelines identify actions employers should take to prevent and address sexual harassment in the workplace effectively.

Following the adoption of the Sexual Harassment Act in 2022, the Guidelines provide technical guidance to employers called upon to prevent, better monitor, and respond to sexual harassment cases by establishing a special task force (while giving no penalty for those who do not set it).

 The purpose of the task force is to establish support programmes and activities, receive and record victims' complaints by collecting relevant information, and respect the employer's code of ethics and the confidentiality of the data of those involved.

Confirming the concrete commitment to promoting a respectful, fair, and safe work environment, the Minister of Manpower, Ida Fauziyahl, supported by the ILO, on 25 September 2023, also launched a detailed labour inspection guide on how to prevent and respond to discrimination, harassment, and sexual violence in the workplace.

The guide was delivered to 34 provincial labor inspection officers at the Coordination Meeting on Labor Inspection in Jakarta to provide inspectors with the necessary knowledge to identify gender-related biases and violations as well as action plans that can help a company develop and improve its business to be more inclusive and promote equality in compliance with labor laws and international standards.

"This guidance demonstrates Indonesia's determination to address discrimination and ensure that workplaces are safe and free from violence and harassment. Therefore, the ILO encourages Indonesia to ratify ILO Convention No. 190, which will further strengthen its various efforts to create a safer, more inclusive and equitable work environment," said Michiko Miyamoto, ILO director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste.