23 June 2026
In March 2026, Indonesia’s Domestic Worker Protection Bill advanced and was formally designated an RUU Inisiatif DPR. This episode documents the long struggle for legal recognition and protection of domestic workers, examining a 2024–2025 study by The SMERU Research Institute on domestic care workers in Indonesia’s care economy, and explaining the new Domestic Worker Protection Bill.
This episode is hosted by Ms Nurul Azizah Zayzda , in conversation with Dr Valentina Yulita Dyah Utari.
Valentina Yulita Dyah Utari is a Senior Researcher at The SMERU Research Institute in Indonesia. She holds a PhD from the University of Western Australia and researches care work, gender and development, with current studies on domestic workers in Indonesia’s care economy, future care demand (older people care, childcare, disability care), and women’s barriers to entering the ride‑hailing industry.
Recommended further reading:
- SMERU Research Report No. 2/2026 on Investing in Care Workers: Positioning Domestic Care Workers in Indonesia’s Care Economy (forthcoming)
- https://smeru.or.id/en/publication/future-demand-care-indonesia-philippines-vietnam (the regional report that covers the Indonesia case study)