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Indonesia Passes Domestic Workers Protection Law

Is Indonesia's RUU PPRT long-overdue justice for domestic workers or a well-meaning law that will ultimately harm them?
Indonesia Passes Domestic Workers Protection Law
Above: A woman speaking about her daughter who was abused as domestic worker in Jakarta on July 27, 2023. Image credit: Adek Berry/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin


Left narrative

Indonesia's domestic workers have been exploited for decades, and the RUU PPRT is long overdue justice. Millions of workers — overwhelmingly women — have been locked out of basic labor protections, leaving them vulnerable to abuse and wage theft. Passing this law is a necessary policy choice that treats domestic work as the essential economic contribution it truly is.

Right narrative

The RUU PPRT is a feel-good law that will likely hurt the very workers it claims to protect. Raising labor costs in a largely informal sector pushes employers to hire fewer workers or go off the books entirely, shrinking real employment. Evidence from South Africa and Latin America shows these well-meaning regulations often drive domestic workers deeper into the shadow economy.


Metaculus Prediction

There is a 33% chance that five years after AGI, there will be universal basic income, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 7.4.1

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 7.4.1