March 4, 2015

Graduating at Melbourne






Postera Crescam Laude. "I shall grow in the esteem of future generations..." (Horace). 

December 19th, 2014. 

Another dream came true in my life. Another grateful of how good God to me and my life. 

I am now officially graduated from the University of Melbourne. No more sleepless nights. Days with anxiety and stressed with so many readings, research, and paper works. Days of procrastination that made me become a clean-addict. Oh yes! When I feel stressed with my student life and assignments, when I feel useless and dumb, when I feel "that's it! I can't do this anymore...", I stopped and let myself busy cleaning the house and stuff that I just cleaned it a few hours ago. No matter it was on the afternoon or midnight time, I'll just do the cleaning allover the house. Well, that's worked on me! Better than shopping! :)) No more sleepless nights, especially during cold winter time, which sometimes I need to drink a glass of Brandy or wine to help me to get sleep and rest. 

Despite all those difficult days and nights, being a student again, living in Melbourne, are one of the most life changing experiences in my path of life. In this city, in this country, in this situation, I become a new person. For sure, I learned a lot from the academic matters to personal and self development. In this city, I've learnt how to cook for the first time. I've learnt playing and become a Gamelan' musician for the first time which led me to play in several musical concerts in Melbourne. In this city,  I learned more about myself and teach the new me to be stronger than before. In this city, I've learnt to deal with my ego: to be humble, patient, and accept things that beyond my control. Let go things that not belong to me. Forgive the past. Forget things behind me. Learn to keep moving on. I've learnt that it is okay to work as a restaurant's waitress and cleaner in people's house. Well. There was time, especially during the first weeks and months, I keep crying inside when the night comes. I feel so ashamed with myself for doing the job considered as low class category in my culture and country. But hey! In here, that's not a bad job at all. Being a jobless, it is! It turns out that by doing these jobs, it teaches me to value and appreciate life more. 

Melbourne. University of Melbourne. Being one of the Australian Award Scholarship awardee. You've changed my life and the way I think about this world. Always, I thank You, for given me this opportunity, dear God. Now that I have completed and closing the door of this phase of life, my hope and wish are to give it back to my surroundings, community and my country. May God continue to bless and be with me, as always, on the next journey of my life. 

Autumn, March 4th, 2015. 





March 3, 2015

Random Act of Kindness



Yesterday morning when I was walking toward the Little Collins Street, I saw a man came from the opposite direction of me. Looking to his "empty" and "blank" face, for no reason I just automatically gave him a smile. He stopped, looking directly into my eyes, and softly but genuinely thanking me. "It means a lot", says him. Then he walked away again. I was surprised.  

I don't know what that man struggles in life, but I then realised even just giving a small sounds silly thing, like a smile to a stranger, it might be the only sunshine he sees all day. What happened yesterday morning reminds me again to what I experienced few months back when I was working as a waitress at one most busiest restaurant at the Swanson Street. (Yes, I too worked as waitress!). I've had worked for a long four hour without have a chance to sit and resting even for a while, continuously standing and doing waitressing stuff as the restaurant was super hectic that day. I came to a table to pick up empty and used plates where an older woman sitting. I was so tired and like a robot, I just pick those used plates, bowl, and glass, and cleaned up the table. Just before I left the table, she held my hand, saying "thank you, dear. God bless you". I was stunned and touched. Just a simple short words. It cheers my day. It melted my heart. It makes me feel stronger again. 

When we do and practice just a random act of kindness, to people we love and knows like a surprise call to a long lost friend or family leave far away, just to ask how are they, paying a cup of coffee for someone next behind you when you are about buying your coffee at the cafe, offer your seat while you are on public transport, or just a simple smile to a stranger. We never know it works! Never underestimate those things you do. It could changed someone's life and spirit. In my case, it equally makes me feel good inside. As well as it might changed the recipient, it may also changed us and the way we see life. So let us continue to learn and practice random act of kindness. At least, a small contribution we can made for this world. Why not? 

Autumn, March 3rd, 2015. 

March 2, 2015

In Memoriam of Stella Young



These are my first and last photos with the belated Stella Young, one of most inspiring disability activist here in Australia, a member of Victorian Disability Advisory Council, a journalist, the editor of ABC's Ramp Up Website (an online space for news and discussion about disability in Australia), a  very well known comedian in Australia,  a regular panelist on ABC television programs, and more. 

I remember how excited and proud I was for specially selected and invited to attend a breakfast discussion with Stella Young, exactly three months ago by tomorrow, December 3rd, 2014. I approached her before the session started and she was very friendly and warmth. When I told her that I follow her at her Instagram, she immediately respond by saying, "Let's take selfie and posted at ours" :)) She even made funny face pose for the photos taken from her iPhone :)) I told her that I admire her works and it's my wish while living and studying in Australia to one day I'll have an opportunity to meet with her and Julia Gillard, my two favourite Australian women. She then told me, "You've met Julia too now through me, because she's my friend and I just met her! I'll tell her about you, Lia". :)) We then spent few minutes before she start her session by talking about the challenge in taking social campaign towards disability, about my study and interest, and she shared some funny stories and jokes about her wheelchair. By the end of the event before she left, she came to me and my  other friends from Nepal and Mongolia, and asking us to keep continue our work on advocating disability issues. She specially encouraged me to learn more and keep myself curious and research on my most interest area on disability issue: disability and sexuality. It was a nice breakfast discussion facilitated by the DFAT for the selected Australian Awards awardees comes from many different developing countries. For us, meeting her in person, learn from her experience as person with disability and her amazing works towards disability in Australia is very inspiring, things that we can bring home when we all return to our home countries and motivated us to work more on this issue. I remember I left the venue with a happy and proud feeling inside. Not only because I can finally meet her, but I also bring all those encouragement and knowledge sharing that she shared with us. 

Life works in mysterious way and death is also equally mysterious. A very cheerful, energetic, funny, full of jokes and laugh Stella Young I met for the first time, was unexpectedly died three days after, on December 6th, 2014, at the age of 32 years old. I was cried when I heard the news on the morning news of Channel 24. She was too young to die. So much thing that I know she still want to do and we all still need her to do and to keep inspiring us (despite she used to say "I am not your inspiration"). We need her to speak more about the issue to even broader audiences and society outside Australia. But as her friend and a Ram Up colleague, Karen Valenzuela, says, "there will always be Stella Young in this world, as long as we continue her legacy of calling out injustice and demanding better'.   

I'll keep this memory forever, Stella. I hope I can do and contribute better to this issue, as what you had done to your community and country. Rest in Peace, Stella. You're a beautiful young woman with beautiful heart. In heaven you are now. 

Autumn 2015, March 2nd. 

January 16, 2015

A Decade in the Knot




January 11th, 2005 - January 11th, 2015

A decade in the knot. Today is our 10th years wedding anniversary. We have had many mountains and temptations in our way, and truly, there have been some painful hours and days. But today, we are still standing, stronger than before. We lean on each other's strength. We forgive each other's weaknesses. All in the name of LOVE and RESPECT, and by the blessings of our Father God. 


November 29, 2014

Seeing the Author of "Disability Rights & Wrongs"




Feeling great to finally I can meet and attend to the lecture given by Professor Tom Shakespeare, the author of Disability Rights and Wrongs Revisited. The lecture was on Model of Disability and it held in my campus, the University of Melbourne. All away from UK, he's coming down here to Melbourne! Professor Shakespeare is one of an inspiring academic whose done many research in disability studies, medical sociology, and in social and ethical aspects of genetics. People with impairment are disabled by society and by their bodies. We need then to ensure that access to health and rehabilitation, not just education and employment. 

(Spring, 2014) 

November 16, 2014

Excited for the International Disability Day



When I feel useless and exhausted, God reminds me that I am precious. Grateful I am to received this invitation that specially addressed to me with a message written on the email that the Australian Government thru the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) acknowledges and appreciates my contribution on Disability Inclusive Development given to CBM International and to their projects in Uganda and Kenya. 

Every 3rd of December celebrates as the International Disability Day. DFAT invites me to attend to this year Breakfast Gathering that will be present Ms. Stella Young, a top notch disability advocate, journalist and comedian. I have been admiring Stella Young for her works on disability, and once I make a wish that while living in Australia, I keen to meet with her and Julia Gillard. Both are two inspiring women for me! So now soon, I will meet one of them! So WOW!!! How can I thank HIM! And especially for HE never get tired to remind me again and again...never get tired with life, no matter how difficult it might be. 

(Late Spring, 2014)

November 14, 2014

An Indonesian Blind Student's Memorable Australian Bus Ride



Jaka Ahmad yang juga dikenal dengan nama "Jack" adalah mahasiswa tunanetra asal Indonesia yang sedang kuliah S-2 program Social Work di Universitas Flinders, Adelaide, Australia Selatan. Salah satu hobi Jack adalah senang bepergian. Berikut pengalamannya dengan seorang sopir bus di Adelaide.

Seperti di kota-kota lain yang pernah saya singgahi atau tinggal, di Adelaide, saya juga suka bepergian sendiri, apalagi dengan menggunakan transportasi umum seperti bus atau kereta.

Sangat terbiasa dengan hiruk pikuk lalu lintas Jakarta yang semrawut membuat saya sangat cepat beradaptasi dengan lingkungan di Adelaide yang lebih teratur. Bayangkan saja, yang biasanya saya harus berlari, menghadang bus untuk menanyakan jurusannya, atau lompat dari bus ketika ingin turun dari bus yang tidak sepenuhnya berhenti, kini saya tinggal berdiri manis di pemberhentian bus dengan merentangkan tongkat putih saya dan bus pun akan berhenti dengan sukarela agar saya bisa menanyakan jurusan bus tersebut.

Suatu sore, ketika saya hendak pulang ke tempat tinggal saya, saya menaiki bus 720 ke arah kota dari Flinders Medical Center. Sebelum duduk, saya berkata kepada sopirnya bahwa saya mau turun di bus stop 22. Biasanya, saya duduk di kursi paling depan, yang merupakan kursi prioritas bagi penyandang disabilitas, ibu hamil, atau lansia.

Namun, kali ini saya duduk agak jauh dari sopir. Bus berjalan dan saya mulai asyik mendengarkan musik. Ketika sedang menikmati perjalanan sore tersebut, bus berhenti dan tiba-tiba sopir bus tersebut menyentuh pundak saya dengan pelan.

"Kamu seharusnya turun di stop 22 kan? Maaf, saya lupa… dan sekarang kita sudah di bus stop 18," kata sopir tersebut.

Dari intonasi suaranya, saya bisa menilai kalau dia memang merasa bersalah. Namun, saya sudah telanjur kesal, jadi tanpa bicara, saya langsung berdiri dan berusaha untuk turun dari bus. Namun, sopir tersebut berkata kepada saya.

"Kalau kamu turun di sini, kamu akan kesulitan menyeberang sendirian karena tidak ada jalur penyeberangan. Namun, biarlah saya bantu kamu menyeberang," ujar sopir tersebut sambil mengikuti saya.

Turun dari bus, sang sopir kembali melanjutkan, "Atau kamu ikut saja sampai bus stop 16 karena di sana ada jalur penyeberangan dan kamu bisa menyeberang dengan aman, lalu kamu bisa naik bus arah sebaliknya sampai di bus stop 22."

Masih kesal dan tanpa berbicara kepadanya, saya kembali naik ke dalam bis, menyetujui usulannya.

Sampai bus top 16, sopir tersebut menemani saya turun dari bus dan menuntun saya menuju jalur penyeberangan. Dia menekan tombol lampu penyeberangan dan menunggu bersama saya.

"Kamu sebaiknya kembali ke bus,” akhirnya saya berbicara kepadanya. "Kasihan penumpang lain mereka bisa terlambat nanti."

"Saya akan seberangkan kamu terlebih dahulu, baru nanti saya lanjutkan perjalanan saya," dia pun menjawab.

Mendengar jawaban tersebut, saya mulai melunak dan mengubah sikap saya, lebih berusaha menyembunyikan kekesalan saya karena kejadian tadi.

"Saya akan baik-baik saja. Saya bisa menyeberang sendiri. Jalur ini sangat aman untuk saya seberangi. Kamu tidak usah khawatir," ujar saya mencoba untuk meyakinkan sopir tersebut. "Penumpang yang lain akan terlambat dan nanti kamu bisa dikomplain."

"Tidak apa saya dikomplain, yang penting kamu selamat," jawab dia pendek.

Saya sempat terperangah mendengar jawaban tersebut. Namun, saya segera kembali meyakinkan sopir tersebut untuk segera kembali ke busnya. Namun, dia tetap tidak beranjak dari posisinya. Lampu berubah hijau dan kami pun menyeberang. Setelah itu, sopir tersebut mengantar saya ke bus stop yang ada di dekat penyeberangan tersebut. Dia mengatakan bahwa ini adalah bus stop 16, dan semua bus yang melintas akan melewatibus stop 22. Saya pun berterima kasih kepadanya sebelum akhirnya dia menyeberang kembali.

Kurang lebih 10 menit saya berdiri di bus stop tersebut dan akhirnya sebuah bus pun merapat. Baru saja saya mau bertanya, tiba-tiba sopir bus tersebut berkata,

"Naiklah, saya akan antar kamu ke bus stop 22."

Setengah heran, saya pun naik ke bus tersebut, dan kali ini saya duduk dekat sopirnya.

"Bagaimana kamu tahu kalau saya mau ke stop 22?" saya bertanya kepada sopir tersebut.

"Sopir 720 yang tadi kamu naiki, dia berkomunikasi dengan saya melalui radio panggil," jawab sopir tersebut santai. "Dia mengatakan tujuan kamu terlewati dan berpesan kepada saya untuk mengantar kamu ke stop 22."

Saat itu, saya tersenyum dan muncul perasaan salut yang tinggi terhadap sopir 720 terseubt.

Saya ingat hal ini sering terjadi saat saya bepergian di kota-kota di Indonesia, di mana sopir atau kenek lupa menurunkan saya di tempat yang saya inginkan. Namun, bila ini terjadi di Indonesia, perlakuan yang sering terjadi adalah mereka menurunkan saya di suatu area yang saya tidak kenal, lalu menyuruh saya untuk menyeberang dan naik arah sebaliknya, tanpa membantu saya menyeberang.

Sering pula penumpang lainnya mengomentari, "Lagian sih, pergi sendirian. Gak ditemenin aja?" atau "Ngapain sih pergi-pergi? Gakbisa orang rumah saja yang disuruh?" Kalau sudah demikian, biasanya saya hanya tersenyum kecut dan akhirnya terbiasa dengan komentar-komentar seperti itu. Namun, terkadang ada juga sopir atau kenek yang berbaik hati menyeberangkan saya terlebih dahulu, sebelum melanjutkan perjalanannya.

Oleh sebab itu, kejadian di 720 tersebut cukup membuat saya terkagum-kagum dengan perilaku orang Barat yang konon katanya cuek dengan orang lain.

(Source: ABC Australia) 

June 23, 2014

To The Other Land, I'll Catch My Dream



The Story of Eva, An Indonesian Migrant Worker


“One of the most courageous things you can do is identify yourself, know who you are, what you believe in and where you want to go.” (Sheila Murray Bethel)


Background

            Today Indonesia is known as the second largest sending country of migrant workers to overseas (Bonasahat, 2013). Every year about 700 thousands of Indonesians travel abroad in at least a minimum of two-year working contract. More than half are women age from 18-50 years, and about 80 percent of them work as domestic workers. The Middle East countries are the primary destination; follow by countries in East and Southeast Asia such as Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. Despite many remaining unknown and lacking recognition to the contribution of those emigrants to the nation, they are the “foreign-exchange heroes” in Indonesia (Farbenblum, Taylor-Nicholson, & Paoletti, 2013). Their remittances contribute to the national economy is about USD 7 billions per year.  

Poverty, lacking job opportunities or low-income jobs, and wanting to improve individual and family’s welfare are the documented major reasons of the migrant workers in taking the overseas work, leaving their home and families (Farbenblum et al., 2013). Barry R. Chiswick (2008) defines immigrant’s motivation as economic and non-economic factors. This paper uses the concept from both which combined the two factors as the motivation and background of Eva, a-36 years old female Indonesian in choosing her life-path as a migrant worker, first in Saudi Arabia for two years, then Hong Kong for two years, and Singapore for almost four years. Eight years working in three different countries makes Eva’s story different from her peers, which mostly covered in the national media with sad and tragic stories of violence and abuse. Before leaving Indonesia for the first time, Eva’s family and friends seeing her as a young broken-hearted and submissive wife. Along the journey she has transformed into an independent woman, knew what she wanted in life, assertive and articulative, and currently known as a single mother, female activist and holds a position at one political party in Indonesia where she continues voicing the rights of women and particularly female migrant workers.

This paper aims to understand why Eva moved, what motivated her? Is Eva a type of favorable self-selected immigrant as describes by Chiswick, or is she forced to do so?  Did she make the decision or is it forced by her external surroundings? What are the challenges and impact along her trajectory as migrant worker? Lastly, this paper tries to examine what could be learnt from her stories, especially in shaping a better understanding about migration and development in Indonesia.

Eva The Migrant Worker

“I just want to be happy, have certainty about the future. I dream a house of my own.”

 Eva was born as the eldest of five. Her father could no longer support the family since a motorcycle accident made him paralyzed. Eva was just about seventeen then and on her second year of high school at her hometown, a small village in southern part of Sumatera Island. Not long after the accident, the family’s livelihood deteriorated. When savings and assets depleted, they had to borrow money for caring Eva’s father and to support their daily lives. Eva then quit the school to help her mother who became a housemaid in several houses, providing support in house cleaning, cooking, and baby-sitting. A year into this routine, Eva’s family accepted a middle-aged man proposal to marry her, and made her the second wife, for a promise to support her family.

            Few years later, being a second wife with a two-years old son, still living in her parent’s house and only seeing her husband few times in a month made her unhappy. As she confirmed over the phone in an interview for this paper, she admitted that she felt depressed, lonely and betrayed. When she was pregnant, her husband promised her to leave his first-wife and build a house where they could start living as a family. It never came true. Even a year after the baby was born, despite still sending enough money to support her and her family, her husband rarely visited her and their only son. As she was no longer work following the request of the husband, she felt that she became excluded from her social surrounding. She stated that she felt much happier when she worked as a housemaid, from house-to-house, compared to her new lives as a housewife, without a real husband and a real house.

            During those downturn periods, she met an old friend whom returned to their village for a holiday visit. Her friend told her about the experiences being a migrant worker in Arabia, and showed Eva a newly built house from the money she earned. This is the moment where Eva started seeing her neighborhood, a lot more new “bricks” and “colorful” houses built, and she learnt to know that it all built from the money sent by the neighbors working overseas. She felt that she finally found a way-out from her dependence to her husband, economically and psychologically, and a way back to her social life. As she said, she wanted more in life, than just waiting for her husband to come. She wanted to be happy and have certainty about her future and her son. On her mind at that time, it meant having her own house and economically dependent. In addition, just like her friends and other neighbors, she wanted to look successful, and this symbolized by owning a house.

            Jill Stearns (2002) argues that globalization is not all bad for women, instead it can offers new opportunities such as employment and opportunity to be an agent of development and can actively contribute in shaping globalization and development. In Eva’s case the effect of globalization that has flourished in her hometown encourages emigration and transnational transaction in money and people, especially to women. The combination of pull factors in international migration, such as global demand on the need of domestic workers in other countries and a promising income, and the push factor such as economic and non-economic conditions have attracted people to migrate (Haas, 2010; Institute, 2013). For Eva, her motives were not just simply about economy (to have security and certainty about the future), but also the need to express her independence and freedom (from her husband and her family whom made her feel like “the source of income”), and to improve her social status within her community (liberalizing her image as a dependent second-wife and to prove that she can be as successful as her friends). As in accordance with the Law of Migration by Ravenstein (1885), females are more migratory than males, and this is also still the migration phenomenon in Indonesia. Likewise in Eva’s village, many employment and recruitment agencies expand their networks to seek women like Eva, make thing promising and easier for them to travel abroad as domestic migrant worker. For Eva, moving away from her village and working overseas were the only option to improve her life chances. She made a decision to make changes towards her life, even though she had no support from her husband and family. The UNDP Report (2009) highlights this as a key value of human freedom, that we are being able to decide where to live and what we want to do in life. This paper argues that Eva’s migration is also as part of a household livelihood strategy, as it motivated by a deliberate decision to improve livelihood and investment for the future. Both Bebbington (1999) and De Haan (2000) seen this concept as a new economics of labor migration that also mean to minimize future shocks and stresses over insecurity within household, which particularly applied for rural-urban internal and international migration in developing countries.

Along the Journey: Risks, Benefits and Its Impact

            No journey is without risks, benefits and impacts. In Eva’s case, this meant she had to leave her comfort zone and people that she knew and cared, including her marriage and husband as one of her family “source of income”. Prior to her departure, her husband divorced her as a consequence of leaving him to overseas and argued it against his belief and religion, that woman should stay at home. In this context, Eva (as with other female migrants in her village) reversed the traditional assumption towards migration, which assumed men migrated while women stayed behind and viewed women as secondary migrants (Donato, Gabaccia, Holdaway, Martin Manalansan, & Pessar, 2006). Not only she lost her marriage and not being able to see her son for a few years, Eva must also accepted that she would be left in debt for a period of time. First was to the work agency for paying her logistical requirements, including travel documents and work permit. Second was to some relatives and neighbors for giving loan to her family before she could send them money. Still according to Eva, almost all the money she earned from her first employment was used to pay off her debt. Only a small amount she could save, but still was not enough to buy a land and build a house. She stated that only after the third term of her employment, she could finally have enough money to buy a land. Whereas to build a house she used the money earned from her fourth employment. In related to immigrant’s remittance, this is in line as what argues by Lipton (1980), that migrants tend to use their first remittances to pay off debts, financing their children and daily consumption, but not for productive investment.  

            Despite the financial difficulties at the beginning of the employment and uncertainty feeling that she could cope with all the changes and new things at the new place, along the journey it gave opportunities for Eva to develop her individual capacity and network. She learned new skills and knowledge, including communication and entrepreneurial attitudes. While she learned some violence and abuse suffered by her peers, she shaped her thinking and social-empathy about workers and human rights. She also gained benefits from the networks she established, especially with the recruitment agency, where later gave her a more simplified process when she re-applied the employment. She established and maintained a relationship with her past employers, which physiologically made her feel part of a big international family. She admitted that there was conflict and misunderstanding during her first employment with her employer, but those were not serious and no physical violence involved. Most of her employers taught her lots of new things and placed her in safe and friendly-family workplaces. Vice verse, as according to Eva, they learned about Indonesian cultures from her, such as Indonesian cuisines and traditional Sumatran songs and dances she taught to the children of her past employers and group of youth Singaporeans.  After all, despite there may be situation where hiring female domestic worker means the invasion of the private space of the employer (Gill, 1994), however both parties could benefited from the process (Devasahayam, 2010). As states at the UN Report (2008), migration enables people in both sending and receiving countries to improve their living standards, support their families and contribute significantly to the productivity of their economy. In addition to cases like Eva, it also enables transfers of cultures and diversity across international migration. 

Particularly during Eva’s employment in Hong Kong, she built contact with some civil society organizations that work on migrant workers issues. This network have contributed in building her understanding about the importance to protect migrant workers, and taught her to be an effective resource and spoke person on her later life as advocate for worker’s rights. When she returned to Indonesia, the issues of migrant workers have just started as political debates and discourses in the country. She came and talked as the contributor from the field, giving insights and shares her experiences to her community, politicians and policy-makers. As a result from the long debates towards migrants workers, in late 2012, Indonesia signed the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ICMW), and currently in the progress on revising the aforementioned 2004 law on migrant workers to enhance the protection of Indonesian domestic workers in overseas. This reflected the development theory’s view in seeing return migrants as “agent of development” bring home not only money, but also innovation in ideas, skills and knowledge (Haas, 2010).

Conclusion & Lesson Learned

            Over half a million workers officially leave Indonesia every year to work as migrant workers, with the vast majority of them are women work in the domestic sector.  Economic factors such as lack of employment opportunities, low wages and land shortage in the rural areas have been identified as some of the reasons why people in Indonesia move to work abroad. Whereas the non-economic factor such as to maintain social class and status, independence and the right to have happiness in life have also triggered people, especially women in the rural to move and migrate. Adding to this, the pull factor in destination countries that provide job opportunities for migrants. Some emigrants move because of economic factor, while others, like Eva, because the combination of the two factors. Some forced to migrate because of situation or trapped into human trafficking, whereas the others made their own decision to move. In Eva case, she made the decision by herself, as she wanted to make changes in her life and build better future.   

Despite many of them experience problem while working abroad and the national media frequently reported cases of severe abuse and violence towards migrant workers, this has not reduced the number of women to work abroad. Today, feminization of migration has become a phenomenon in people movement across the world, as more women today migrate to show their economic independence and mobility. Therefore to ensure the wellbeing and protection of Indonesians migrant workers, close collaboration need to be taken by the Government, Civil Society Organizations and labor association. It also important to facilitate the departure training which not only cover the skills in relation to their domestic work, but also knowledge about their rights and basic understanding of legal regimes in the destination countries, and a mechanism on how to access support to justice whenever problem occurred. Those would not just be useful whenever they arrive in the destination, but also as part of capacity building to the Indonesian migrant workers. By doing this, we can expect to see more migrant return home like Eva and can positively participate in the development in Indonesia.      

Melbourne, Autumn 2014
Lia Marpaung-Abidin