UNU Jogja Highlights Reproductive Rights Violations Faced by Indonesian Migrant Workers

Yogyakarta, Indonesia — Migrant workers are often among the most vulnerable groups to various forms of human rights violations, including issues related to reproductive health. This vulnerability frequently goes unnoticed by the public and therefore requires in-depth and sustained academic research.

This situation has become a particular concern for UNU Jogja and its research team through the organization of a research workshop entitled ‘Coerced Contraception and Indonesian Migrant Workers in Asia: Implications for Reproductive Justice and Global Health’ held at the UNU Yogyakarta campus from December 25 to 27, 2025.

The research workshop is designed as part of a cross-country study to be conducted in several regions, namely Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

The Head of the Task Force for the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence (SATGAS PPKS) at UNU Jogja, Suharti, explained that the main focus of the research is to examine the practice of coerced contraception experienced by Indonesian migrant workers employed in the domestic sector.

“This research seeks to uncover practices of coerced contraception faced by Indonesian migrant workers working in the domestic sector in four countries, namely Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia,” she stated.

The research is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and will be conducted over a four-year period from 2025 to 2027. The study is led by Prof. Dr. Denise L. Spitzer from the University of Alberta, Canada, as Principal Investigator, and involves collaboration with Indonesian organizations and researchers, including Kabar Bumi, Yuni Asriyanti, Karsiwen, and Dr. Budi Wahyuni from Universitas Gadjah Mada as Co-Investigators.

Through this research, Suharti hopes to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the practices of coerced contraception experienced by Indonesian migrant workers, as well as to reveal their impacts on reproductive rights, health, and human dignity. In addition, the research findings are expected to serve as a basis for policy recommendations, strengthen advocacy efforts, and promote the protection of Indonesian migrant workers’ reproductive rights at both national and international levels. [Latifah]