When Women Talk

Women are naturally different to men since they were born. The most distinctive thing between them is their powers that generally men are much stronger than women. This condition is one of several reasons gender discrimination happens. Women labors at factory is an example of discrimination often happens, especially in term of wage, chance for promotion and lose their job after having free days for giving birth. Another case is sexual harassment that often happens to some of women labors who have night shift work. These discriminations give some effects towards the women labors. Less productive, psychological problem and the difficulty of being promote are some examples of the effects.

The reality of women discrimination at workplace in Indonesia has been existed since the old days. Based on Indonesia Centre Statistic Bureau on 2007, the wage of men labors was higher than women labors. This unfair situation is the cause of most women workers lose their motivation in doing their job perfectly because they have already known that their wages are less than what they have done. Unfortunately, this situation also gives bad effect towards their chance of promotion. The regression of their productivity gives bad mark to women labors. The masters of the factory tend to promote men labors to avoid the bad risk of promoting ‘bad mark’ labors. According to other data of Indonesia Centre Statistic Bureau, 4.5 million women are graduated from colleges that close the gap from 4.7 million men. It proves that women are well educated, but it does not affect well because only 30% of them who are accepted working in legal institution. In the other hand, this rare opportunity sometimes causes good effect to women workers in motivating them to be better or at least in the same position as men workers.

By looking back to the reality of women labors, many people pay big attention to them. Evi Eliyanah, a lecturer of Cross Gender Studies at State University of Malang, said that basically gender discrimination in Indonesia happens because of men tend to aspire higher in their career than women. Culturally women are easily contented with their career achievement. It causes the minimal number of women workers in workplace. In other case, Pusfika, a student of English Department, State University of Malang, said that gender discrimination is one of the causes women labors lost their productivity. “It might happen because they work in worried condition,” add Pusfika. Worried atmosphere can be created if there were some harassment happened before. Pusfika’s statement is being strengthened by Dra. Sri Andreani, M.A., a lecturer in English Department, State University of Malang. She said, “Gender discrimination gives bad effect to their psychological condition. They do not feel safe and enjoy the job.” She also emphasizes on other professions, such as Indonesia ministers and ambassadors which are dominated by men. This condition creates uncomfortable atmosphere to women, as the minority.

Recognizing that women have higher sensitive feeling than men, in my opinion, gender discrimination in workplace can cause both negative and positive effects. Both effects might happen because of different kind of discriminations, in bad or good way. Discriminating women in bad way, such as mocking or sexual harassment, can cause the women workers loss their self-confident. Confidence is the main key to be success in carrier. If they lose it, they will lose forever because it is hard to make up self-confident quickly. Otherwise if other workers discriminate them in good way, based on women nature, such as let them have free days for giving birth, will help women to relieve the pain. This special treatment can evoke their spirit

during working and they are motivated to work better. A note for this case is those women workers are still having their job after giving birth, remembering that most factories will replace women labors job by others after having long free days.

Women discrimination in workplace is common happen in daily life, but only a few people realize and take deep attention towards it. The bad effects are much more than the positives, such as lose their self-confident, less productive and the difficulty of being promote. Some women workers are fighting for finding their equality in workplace. Let women talk and prove that they deserve to have the same treatment in workplace.

Written by: Intan Kusumawardhani