Women workers in Indonesia may soon enjoy more flexible working hours if the plans by the Indonesia Manpower Ministry come to execution.

Hanif Dhakiri, the Minister of Manpower in Indonesia recently noted that the current rules which require workers who work for five days a week to complete at least eight hours a day and 40 hours a week are too stiff which may discourage women from entering in the workforce.

“The rigid regulation is not beneficial for women as they have double pressures related to their tasks in nurturing their families and developing their careers,” Hanif said.

Data indicates that female participation in the workforce was 52% which is significantly lower than the 83% for males, as of August 2018 Statistics.

A relaxation of the law would be beneficial for the workforce as a whole, he noted, and would help the country better keep up with technology advances, and newer ways of working.