Hundreds of Women Rally in Jakarta Against Free Meals Program, Demand Action on Living Costs

Hundreds of women activists, workers, and civil society members gathered near Indonesia's Presidential Palace in Jakarta to voice their concerns over escalating living costs and the need for better job opportunities. The demonstration, organized by the Indonesian Women's Alliance, also called for a critical review of the government's signature Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program.

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I deliberately took time off because I felt the need to take these concerns to the streets.

Participants, many dressed in pink and house dresses as symbols of solidarity, marched from Dukuh Atas to the State Palace. They carried kitchen utensils, banners, and posters highlighting anxieties about soaring food prices, limited employment prospects, and the broader impact of government policies on working-class families. One protester, Fanda, stated she took time off work to participate, emphasizing that the issues directly affect ordinary Indonesians and their daily lives, citing increased costs for even basic services like motorcycle taxi rides.

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Even taking a motorcycle taxi ride feels more expensive. Drivers feel it, passengers feel it. These are issues that affect our daily lives.

The protesters demanded lower prices for essential goods, improved access to decent employment, and a thorough evaluation of the MBG program, a key social initiative under President Prabowo Subianto. Mutiara Ika Pratiwi, a representative of the Indonesian Women's Alliance, explained that the rally reflects growing frustration among women facing increased economic pressures on their households. She argued that rising fuel prices have exacerbated the cost of living, disproportionately burdening low-income women and laborers who often work long hours for low wages.

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The increase in fuel prices has pushed up the cost of living and made life harder for women, especially laborers who work long hours for low wages.

Furthermore, Pratiwi claimed that economic strains on middle-class households have led to reduced demand for domestic workers, resulting in job losses for many women in this sector. The demonstration proceeded towards the Presidential Palace, where the group intended to present their demands to the government. The rally highlighted the significant economic challenges faced by Indonesian households, particularly women, and called for policy adjustments to alleviate these pressures.

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Many domestic workers have lost their jobs because households are facing greater financial burdens and can no longer afford to employ them.