IMF Chief Calls on RI to Increase Number of Females in Labor Force

International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Christine Madeleine Odette Lagarde on Monday called on Indonesia to empower more women to increase their number in the labor force.

Lagarde was taken to Tanah Abang market in Central Jakarta, which is Southeast Asia’s biggest textile market, by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

She was impressed by the number of woman working in the market and said she would be happy to see more participate in the labor force on her return for the IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting in October in Bali.

“I hope that during my next visit to Indonesia in October, there will be even more women in the labor force,” Lagarde added.

The National Planning Agency said in 2015, only 49 percent of the women productive population (the labor force participation rate for females) was a part of the labor force. That meant only 49 percent of females in the productive age of between 15 and 64 entered the labor market.

The number was lower compared to the total labor participation rate that reached 66 percent.

Under the Indonesian 2045 vision, the government is targeting the labor force participation rate for females to increase to 73 percent, while the total labor force participation is targeted higher than 80 percent.

“Our female participation is good but not good enough for developed countries’ standards. We have to increase it again,” National Development Planning Minister Bambang PS Brodjonegoro said.

Courtesy : The Jakarta Post