After 20 years of delays, landmark legislation finally recognises and protects 4.2 million helpers.

Indonesia has passed a long-awaited law to protect domestic workers’ rights, formally recognising millions of helpers as workers and setting a new legal baseline against exploitation and abuse.

Historic Law For 4.2 Million Domestic Workers
On April 21, Indonesia’s Parliament passed a law protecting domestic workers’ rights after more than two decades of deliberations and delays. First introduced in 2004, the Bill covers an estimated 4.2 million domestic workers, nearly 90 per cent of them women, according to the Ministry of Manpower. Previously, they were not legally classified as workers, leaving them in an informal, unregulated economy and highly vulnerable to exploitation. Cheers and applause broke out as House Speaker Puan Maharani struck the gavel to confirm the law’s adoption during the plenary session.

Legal Recognition And New Entitlements
Minister of Law Supratman Andi Agtas told Parliament the new law aims to provide legal certainty for both domestic workers and employers while preventing discrimination, exploitation and abuse. Domestic workers will now be entitled to vocational training, as well as health and unemployment benefits previously out of reach for many in the sector. Although the legislation does not set a minimum wage, it allows for a 12-month period to draft supporting regulations, including wage rules and penalties for violations, creating a framework for stronger enforcement over time.

Ban On Child Domestic Workers
A key provision of the law specifically prohibits hiring children under 18 as domestic workers, a widespread practice in a country where fewer than one in three people completes high school. By closing the door to underage domestic employment, lawmakers aim to reduce child labour and push more adolescents to remain in education. The change is expected to have particular impact in poorer regions, where young girls are often sent to cities as live-in helpers without contracts, protections or clear working hours.

Rights Groups Welcome Protection But Urge Education
Domestic workers’ rights organisation Jala PRT, which had campaigned for the law, called the adoption “historic.” Coordinator Lita Anggraini told AFP that most domestic workers are women who have long been neglected, and that the law finally offers recognition and protection. However, she warned that “the struggle is not over,” stressing the need for public education so employers understand their legal responsibilities. Jala PRT documented more than 3,300 cases of violence against domestic workers between 2021 and 2024, including physical and psychological abuse, economic exploitation and human trafficking, showing the scale of the problem the law must now address.

Violence Cases Highlight Urgency Of Reform
High-profile abuse cases have underscored the urgency of stronger legal safeguards. In 2023, nine people in South Jakarta, including a 70-year-old woman, received prison sentences of up to four years for abusing and torturing a young domestic worker who was beaten, burned with cigarettes and chained to a dog cage. Advocates argue that the new law, once backed by detailed regulations and enforcement mechanisms, can deter similar crimes by clarifying rights, obligations and punishments. For Indonesians and Singaporeans alike, the reform signals Indonesia’s intent to raise labour standards at home, with potential knock-on effects for migrant worker protections and regional perceptions of domestic work as formal, dignified employment.

Indonesia’s new domestic workers law closes a long-standing legal gap for millions of mainly female workers and sets the foundation for better wages, safety and respect in private homes. For Indonesians, it marks a shift toward recognising domestic work as real work subject to national standards, while for Singaporeans and regional neighbours it highlights a growing momentum to tackle abuse, child labour and informal exploitation across Southeast Asia’s household labour markets.

Sources: Straits Times (2026) , CNA (2026)

Keywords: Indonesia Domestic Workers Law, Puan Maharani, Supratman Andi Agtas, Jala PRT, Lita Anggraini, Violence Against Domestic Workers