Care burdens still hinder Indonesian women’s career advancement

JAKARTA, Indonesia (ILO News) - Caring and family responsibilities remain the primary barriers preventing women from advancing their careers, according to a joint survey conducted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Indonesia Business Coalition for Women Empowerment (IBCWE). The findings highlight the continued need for family-friendly workplace policies and transparent promotion systems to address persistent gender inequalities.

The survey was conducted by the ILO through its Realizing trade gains free from gender discrimination and child labour (RealGains) project, funded by the Government of Canada. The initiative supports efforts to ensure that the benefits of international trade are achieved without gender discrimination and child labour, particularly in export-oriented sectors.

If women in key export sectors such as footwear, palm oil and lithium battery production are held back by unequal care responsibilities and limited access to career opportunities, this directly affects productivity, competitiveness and the sustainability of global supply chains.

Dede Sudono, ILO's RealGains Project Coordinator in Indonesia

The survey, conducted between October and November 2025, gathered responses from 493 participants across various industries and four levels of management: top, senior, middle and line management.

Among top management respondents, 42.1 per cent identified caregiving responsibilities as the main obstacle to women's career progression. Similarly, 47.1 per cent of senior management cited caregiving burdens as the primary barrier, followed closely by limited access to coaching and mentoring.

At the middle management level, 52.6 per cent of respondents ranked limited access to promotion opportunities as the most significant barrier, with caregiving responsibilities cited by 40.4 per cent. Line management respondents identified limited access to coaching and mentoring as the leading challenge (48.3 per cent), followed by restricted promotion opportunities (44.4 per cent) and limited access to training (41.7 per cent).

While many companies reported having career development pathways in place, nearly half of respondents (48 per cent) said these pathways were unclear or not well communicated. In addition, one-third of respondents (29 per cent) reported having experienced discrimination at work, with sexist comments cited as the most common form.

The survey was complemented by in-depth interviews with 48 workers - 43 women and five men - from the footwear, palm oil and lithium battery production sectors. Interviewees identified gender bias, entrenched cultural norms, exposure to violence in the workplace and family-related factors as key barriers limiting women's career advancement.

Respondents also highlighted several enabling factors for women's career development, including supportive company policies, commitment from senior leadership and supervisors, mentoring and women champion programmes and a strengthened role for trade unions.

Representatives from Indonesian multinational garment and palm oil companies commented on the key findings during an interactive talkshow. 3/2026

We have established a women champion programme as part of our 'women for women' initiative, where women role models provide mentoring and coaching.

Trisia Indrayani, Pan Brothers' HRM Development Manager

Representatives from PT Pan Brothers Tbk, Indonesia's largest garment manufacturer and PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk, the second biggest palm oil company in Indonesia, commented on the findings. Both emphasized that caring and family responsibilities remain significant challenges for workers in the manufacturing and palm oil sectors. In addition to introducing family-friendly workplace policies, both companies have implemented women's empowerment and leadership initiatives.

"We have established a women champion programme as part of our 'women for women' initiative, where women role models provide mentoring and coaching, while also raising awareness about sexual harassment to help create a conducive working environment," said Trisia Indrayani, Pan Brothers' HRM Development Manager.

Astra Argo Lestari has strengthened family-friendly company regulations by expanding access to free childcare facilities and promoting women workers as agents of change to address harassment and violence at work. "We have seen increased interest from women to work in the palm oil sector. Out of 181 field supervisors, 70 are women. We also promote greater involvement of men in our gender committee," said Susila Darma Wati, Astra Argo Lestari's Vice President Sustainability.

"The findings show that gender equality in the workplace is not only a social imperative, but also an economic one," said Dede Sudono, ILO's RealGains Project Coordinator in Indonesia. "If women in key export sectors such as footwear, palm oil and lithium battery production are held back by unequal care responsibilities and limited access to career opportunities, this directly affects productivity, competitiveness and the sustainability of global supply chains. Promoting family-friendly policies and safe, inclusive workplaces is therefore critical to ensuring that the gains from trade are shared more equitably."

The joint ILO-IBCWE survey underscores the importance of comprehensive workplace policies, leadership commitment and inclusive organizational cultures in advancing gender equality and supporting women's career progression.

We have seen increased interest from women to work in the palm oil sector. Out of 181 field supervisors, 70 are women. We also promote greater involvement of men in our gender committee.

Susila Darma Wati, Astra Argo Lestari's Vice President Sustainability