ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the context in which Indonesia's work/care regime is situated before moving on to an overview of the ways in which care is provided. It also discusses the politics of work and care, and the pressure points evident in the system. The majority of Indonesians work in agriculture; trade, restaurants and hotels; or community, social and personal services. The continuing dominance of agricultural employment and Indonesia's large number of self-employed and family workers contribute to its high level of informal employment. Indonesia has a relatively young population, although fertility rates have been curtailed by a robust family planning programme. Despite changes in patterns of employment and family structures, Indonesian children of pre-school age are relatively unlikely to spend time in any kind of institutional childcare. Women's increasing participation in paid work in Indonesia has exposed persistent assumptions about the division of labour within the home.
