Eni Lestari, Indonesian migrant worker will deliver a speech at United Nations

The Jakarta Post — An Indonesian migrant worker is set to deliver a speech at the United Nations Summit on Refugees and Migrants next month to push governments to better protect migrant workers.  Eni Lestari, a migrant worker who has worked in Hong Kong for 16 years as a domestic helper, was selected after a thorough selection process by the UN to represent millions of migrant workers around the globe.

“This is a challenge for me as I will speak for migrants out there who are struggling for justice and better protection,” Eni said on Saturday at the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) office in Central Jakarta.

The UN General Assembly will host the high-level meeting on Sept. 19 at the UN headquarters in New York with around 1,900 attendees, including presidents and prime ministers of UN member countries, academics and religious leaders. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is also scheduled to attend the summit, Eni said. The event is aimed at addressing the massive movement of refugees and migrants, with the aim of bringing countries together behind a more humane and coordinated approach, according to a statement on the UN website.

In front of the world leaders, Eni wants to point out that the countries with migrant workers should stop thinking of workers merely as sources of money. “Workers deserve to be treated properly,” she said. According to Manpower Ministry data, 6.1 million Indonesians work abroad.