Summary (English)

This study assesses the actual experience of women workers in accessing statutory maternity leave in terms of duration, benefits and job protection in metropolitan Indonesia. A survey was conducted and collected 479 samples in Jakarta, Semarang and Surabaya from married women of childbearing age (20–49 years) who had a pregnancy or birth while employed between 2015 and 2019. Under the Indonesian labour law, women workers are entitled to maternity leaves up to three months. In the absence of maternity benefits in the social security system, employers are required to pay full wages during maternity leaves. However, this study found that such an employer liability scheme does not always allow women workers to enjoy their rights.