By: Devane Sharma
A Structured History of Our Commitment to Labor Rights and Gender Equality | Why Gender Equality Matters: The Role of Gender Committees | Improving Our Efforts: Our Partnerships with DIWA | Our Current Work on Improving Gender Equality
At Musim Mas, we believe that sustainable growth begins with people. That’s why we are committed to fostering a workplace that not only ensures fair treatment but actively empowers employees and their families. This includes providing access to essential resources such as childcare facilities, health education, and inclusive grievance mechanisms.
Central to this effort is our commitment to women’s empowerment, embedded in both our operations and community programs. Our Gender Committees, present across all subsidiaries, play a vital role in promoting gender equality, improving workplace dynamics, and strengthening the communities where we operate.
A Structured History of Our Commitment to Labor Rights and Gender Equality
Musim Mas’s commitment to labor rights and gender equality was laid out in our first Sustainability Policy in 2014, which emphasized alignment with globally recognized standards, including those set by the United Nations. This foundation laid the groundwork for ethical labor practices and human rights protections across our operations.
In 2015, we deepened this commitment by joining the Palm Oil Innovation Group (POIG)—a leadership platform that goes beyond the baseline sustainability standards of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). As part of this commitment, Musim Mas sought to not only implement strong policies but also ensure that our operations translate those policies into measurable improvements in workers’ lives, particularly for women and families.
To strengthen accountability and drive continuous improvement, Musim Mas partnered with Dignity in Work for All (DIWA), formerly known as Verité Southeast Asia, an international NGO with expertise in labor and human rights, for an independent labor assessment in 2016. This marked our first formal collaboration with DIWA. The assessment involved a comprehensive review of employment practices, policies, and worker welfare systems, including on-site interviews and document evaluations.
Building on this momentum, we conducted a second labor assessment with DIWA in 2021–2022, covering four mills and plantations in Central Kalimantan, West Sumatra, and South Sumatra. Due to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the study was conducted remotely via Zoom and phone interviews, with extensive engagement from both management and workers. This second assessment reaffirmed that Musim Mas has standardized management systems in place to prevent unfair recruitment practices, poor living conditions, forced labor, and gender discrimination. DIWA also identified opportunities for improvement—particularly the need to strengthen Gender Committees as “change agents” capable of driving cultural and organizational transformation. This recommendation went beyond certification requirements and reflected a more progressive, rights-based approach to workplace inclusion.
Why Gender Equality Matters: The Role of Gender Committees
Women’s empowerment is not only a social imperative—it is also a key driver of economic resilience and community well-being. To institutionalize support for women and in line with best practice, Musim Mas established Gender Committees across all its operational units.
These committees spearhead a wide range of initiatives aimed at improving the lives of women, children, and families, including:
Understanding Needs
- Conducting home visits to assess living and social conditions in company housing.
- Interviewing expectant mothers to better understand their needs and provide health and nutrition education.
- Provision of free childcare facility for employees’ children.
- Regularly visit childcare facility to distribute nutritious meals for children in child-care facility.
Outreach & Education
- Partnering with experts to conduct sessions on reproductive health, prevention of harassment or discrimination, and drug awareness.
- Raising awareness about domestic violence and sexual harassment among both male and female employees.
- Organizing charity events, such as grocery donations and orphanage visits.
- Raising awareness and introduce activities that could improve children’s psycho-motor skills and overall development of children (“learning while playing”) to childcare facility operator, for example:
- Singing while learning alphabet or counting.
- Playing Tag games and ball games.
- Board games (puzzle and building blocks games).
Capacity Development
- Hosting competitions and engagement activities for female employees, spouses, and children to foster community bonding.
- Working with government agencies to align committee activities with local policy and build long-term capacity, for example:
- Collaborating with Indonesia’s National Narcotics Board to raise awareness on the danger of narcotics.
- Conduct fund-raising (internal) as donation for orphanage located within Company’s vicinity.
- Collaborating with Indonesia’s Red Cross (Palang Merah Indonesia) to hold Blood Donations Day.
- Collaborates with Department of Women Empowerment and Child Protection, Population Control and Family Planning (DP3AP2KB – Dinas Pemberdayaan Perempuan dan Perlindungan Anak Pengendalian Penduduk dan KB) to educate and enhance capacity of the Gender committee.
- Implementing health screenings and immunization programs for employees and their families.
These committees operate independently, with representatives from various departments and employee levels. Their mandate includes:
- Preventing harassment, discrimination, and violence through proactive engagement.
- Addressing workplace concerns related to safety and gender equality.
- Leading educational and empowerment initiatives that benefit women and children.
By giving women a structured platform to voice concerns and take initiative, Gender Committees help foster a more equitable, resilient, and supportive work environment.
Improving Our Efforts: Our Partnerships with DIWA
A Musim Mas-DIWA Workshop Session in January 2025
Following the second assessment, DIWA’s recommendations to enhance the role of the Gender Committees in empowering women have resulted in program improvements:
Enhance Capacity-Building
DIWA encouraged empowering Gender Committees to serve as “change agents” on gender and human rights. In response, we developed targeted training programs, including the integration of Gender Committees in Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) processes for pregnant workers.
Addressing Structural Barriers
To challenge traditional gender roles and support women in leadership, we launched initiatives to build confidence and skills through training and expert partnerships.
Strengthen Grievance Mechanisms
To create a safer and more inclusive workplace, we enhanced our grievance procedure to ensure confidentiality, protect whistleblowers, as well as swiftly address/handle Violence, discrimination and harassment issues.
Sustain Awareness and Track Progress
DIWA highlighted the importance of ongoing awareness-raising and impact monitoring. In response, we’ve run campaigns on reproductive health, bullying prevention, and nutrition. Gender Committee activities are now documented in annual reports to ensure accountability and continuous improvement.
Our Current Work on Improving Gender Equality
Gender equality continues to be of material importance to Musim Mas. As we look forward, our current focus is on:
- Scaling the most impactful programs.
- Deepening collaborations with organizations like DIWA.
- Embedding gender equality in every facet of our operations.
Our Gender Committees will remain at the heart of this strategy—equipped to challenge norms, drive innovation, and ensure women’s voices are part of every conversation that shapes our future.
Musim Mas’s journey shows that empowering women is not just the right thing to do—it’s essential to building resilient communities and a truly sustainable palm oil industry.
