On May 10, the world celebrated Mother’s Day, and I was reminded of Ruth Cowan’s More Work for Mother, a book recommended by my former lecturer. Although labor-saving technologies like washing machines, vacuum cleaners and dishwashers reduced household labor, they often enabled women to take on more paid work without changing unequal care burdens or gendered work systems. The book reminds us that women need more than efficient technology; they need stronger social support, gender-friendly workplaces, accessible childcare, and policies that recognize and fairly redistribute care work. Innovation alone cannot solve inequality without broader social and institutional change.

The severity of this discrimination varies from country to country. Women in Indonesia, the country I hail from, face the aforementioned levels of discrimination and then some. Recent incidents of violence against children in daycare centers, the continuing rise of violence against women and the commuter line accident that disproportionately affected female workers should serve as a wake-up call. These incidents are only the tip of the iceberg of the realities that many women in Indonesia continue to face. Behind them are millions of women struggling every day within a system that has never fully worked in their favor, forced to carry the burden of paid work, domestic responsibilities and safety risks all at once, often without adequate protection from the state.

Being a woman in Indonesia still means facing layered barriers simply to obtain decent work. The issue is no longer solely about competence or education, but about discrimination that has become normalized in the labor market. Many job vacancies in Indonesia continue to impose requirements entirely unrelated to professional capability: maximum age limits, marital status, childlessness, attractive appearance and even minimum height requirements. Such conditions are imposed far more frequently on women than on men. As a result, women are forced to work harder simply to gain equal access to employment opportunities.

The consequences are clearly reflected in Indonesia’s labor structure. In 1995, more than 65% of female workers were employed in the informal sector. Three decades later, little has changed. In 2025, more than 63.3% of women will remain in informal employment, compared to 54.13% of men. Meanwhile, only 36.66% of women work in the formal sector, compared to 45.87% percent of men. These figures demonstrate that for nearly 30% years, the state has failed to implement serious interventions to address gender inequality in the labor market.

Beyond the household: the urgent case for national daycare regulations

The problem does not stop here. Women workers in Indonesia also face double burdens. They are expected to remain economically productive while simultaneously carrying the primary responsibility for childcare and domestic work.

Many women are ultimately forced to leave their children with relatives, hire caregivers or enroll them in daycare centers. Ironically, these caregiving costs must be paid from women’s incomes, which, on average, remain lower than men’s, despite women often working similar or even longer hours.

Furthermore, under growing economic pressure and limited state support, many women eventually give up searching for decent employment. In Indonesia, it is estimated that more than 600,000 women have left or become discouraged from participating in the labor market, including married women, mothers and unmarried women alike. This is not merely an individual issue, but a significant loss for the national economy.

Unfortunately, policies concerning women workers are still rarely treated as a serious economic priority. Women’s issues are often considered insufficiently popular politically and therefore receive limited attention from policymakers. Yet women workers also pay taxes, sustain household economies and contribute substantially to national economic growth.

Consequently, the Indonesian government must begin treating the protection of women workers as a long-term economic investment. One of the most urgent steps is establishing national daycare regulations with clear standards for safety, security, supervision and accreditation. Daycare can no longer be treated solely as a private family matter; it must be recognized as part of Indonesia’s essential economic infrastructure. 

Moreover, the state should provide daycare support for families with young children. In the context of Indonesia’s extreme economic inequality, where the combined wealth of the 50 richest individuals equals that of 55 million Indonesians, a wealth tax could be a viable source of revenue. The potential revenue from a wealth tax on Indonesia’s super-rich is estimated to reach around 142 trillion Indonesian rupiah annually. This figure is substantial enough to finance strategic social protection programs, including national daycare assistance.

Additionally, revenue generated from taxing the wealth of the 50 richest individuals would enable the government to provide at least 9 million Indonesian rupiah annually in daycare support for millions of families with toddlers. Policies like these would not only help women remain in the workforce but also create a sense of security and trust that the state genuinely supports working families.

​A softer, fairer path: shifting from survival to true empowerment

If Indonesia is serious about pursuing inclusive economic growth, women workers can no longer remain marginalized. Women are not only supplementary earners within households. They are one of the driving forces of Indonesia’s economy. Yet today, millions of women continue to work within a system that has never fully stood on their side.

On a concluding note, we need to stop romanticizing women, especially mothers, who are forced to carry multiple burdens at once. Society often normalizes women juggling paid work, household responsibilities, caregiving and social expectations, while simultaneously facing stigma and inequality, as if enduring exhaustion is something admirable. 

Instead of glorifying survival under unequal systems, we should create a new path where women are given genuine space to actualize themselves, pursue their dreams, and build independent and dignified lives. Ultimately, we need to make the world a little softer, fairer and more humane for women in a society that still remains deeply unequal.

[Ainesh Dey edited this piece.]

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.