PT Hindoli-Cargill Establishes the First Women Workers’ Safe House in the Plantation Sector in Indonesia

Jakarta, 9 June 2021 – PT Hindoli, a subsidiary of Cargill’s investment in Indonesia , today announced that it has established the Women Workers’ Safe House (RP3) in its palm oil plantation concession in Musi Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatera. This RP3 pilot project is a realization of the appointment of the Musi Banyuasin Government to PT Hindoli to establish the first safe house to protect women workers in the plantation sector in Indonesia.

The RP3 program was launched by the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) in 2019 and aims to improve protection for women workers from all forms of violence and discrimination in all industrial sectors. After several assessments conducted by the Ministry and related regional government institutions, the values and commitments of PT Hindoli to its women workers were believed to be aligned with carrying out the safe house pilot project for the plantation sector.

During her visit to PT Hindoli on Wednesday, 9 June 2021, the Minister of the PPPA Ministry, Bintang Puspayoga, said, “Workers, especially women workers, are very vulnerable to all forms of violence and discrimination, such as difficulty in obtaining the right to organize an association, taking maternity or menstrual leave, facing unfair treatment at work and getting the right to work protection and safety. This is because many women workers do not understand their rights, or they feel afraid, ashamed and do not know where to report when they experience violence or discrimination in the workplace. Therefore, we feel the need to initiate and establish RP3 in various industrial sectors, including the plantation sector. I appreciate PT Hindoli for building this facility as a show case of how companies take care of women workers in the plantation industry. I do hope this program can be replicated to other companies.”

The directions from the Minister are aligned with Cargill’s commitments and values – doing the right thing and putting people first – which guide the efforts it makes to protect, support, and prioritize the welfare of all employees, including women employees.

The Musi Banyuasin Regent, Dr. H. Dodi Reza Alex Noerdin, said, “The establishment of this RP3 project gives assurance to the Musi Banyuasin community, especially women workers, that there is already a facility to increase the protection of women workers from all forms of violence and discrimination in the workplace. Local government will continue to support initiatives that can promote safety and improve the welfare of the local community. Local government will also support PT Hindoli with  their commitment to build and operate this facility.”

Cargill through its palm oil subsidiary, Cargill Tropical Palm (CTP), also shared best practices to fulfill basic human rights and promote gender parity at its plantations. These include forming gender committees led by women employees at each of its business locations, ensuring women workers have equal access to promotion opportunities, putting in place policies in line with reproductive rights for women workers, providing pregnancy and childbirth services at company clinics, improving infrastructure in the plantation area to maintain women’s health and providing facilities for the welfare of children,such as nursing rooms, daycare centers, schools, and school buses.

Anton Asmara, acting President Director of PT Hindoli said, “We are proud and grateful to the Ministry of PPPA and Musi Banyuasin Government for choosing PT Hindoli as the first institution to implement a pilot project of RP3 in the plantation sector. Cargill understands that improving community welfare will require the continued efforts of many parties – including industry, government, and other stakeholders. We hope that this safe house project can be duplicated by other private companies so that all women workers have a safe and effective place to openly voice their concerns or unpleasant experiences that they face.”

During her visit to PT Hindoli, Minister Bintang Puspayoga also inaugurated the first Taman Asuh Ceria (TARA) in Indonesia, which has met KPPPA's standardization requirements. This facility is designed to look after children while their parents, including their mothers, are working. Through TARA, Cargill can take care of the children to fulfill the children's rights as part of our support for the working mothers and the children.

Cargill invests in, engages with, and respects diversity, equity, and inclusion while promoting sustainable and responsible economic development to improve living standards and promote stable communities.