Kartini's legacy 102 years on

Before their beauty fades they're expected to get married and leave - to be replaced by the next crop of campus cuties. They have no career path and can only rise through longevity.

The Government's Manpower Department (the name's a giveaway) determines wages and working hours but these are not policed. White-collar unions are largely toothless and in some cases have been bought off by management.

Working for a multinational is little different from a local company. Even overseas-funded religious schools think office staff can survive on Rp 1 million (US $110) a month. 

Staff are frequently ordered to work back without notice. Although secretaries are supposed to be paid overtime the hassle of getting approval after the event means few bother.

Sick leave is rarely taken because the wrath that follows is worst than the illness.  Her fortnight's leave has to coincide with her boss's holidays.A boss who recognises his underlings as fellow humans with needs and concerns is a rarity

For the privilege of working a secretary will be lucky to start with more than Rp 1.5 million (US $170) a month in the big cities, and a lot less elsewhere.

Clerk Dewi is a composite character drawn from many models. She works as a secretary for a multinational in Surabaya. She frequently has to translate head office instructions in English for her monolingual boss. 

Dewi lives in a kos (boarding house) about 10 km from the office and gets Rp 1.7 million a month. Ideally she'd live with her parents, but they're in another town. This is her monthly budget.

• Transport: Rp 250,000. (She uses bemo (mini busses) but has to change twice; each stage costs Rp 2,000.)
• Meals: Cooking is not allowed in her kos, so all meals have to be taken outside. Rp 600,000. (She eats in warung (roadside cafes) and budgets Rp 20,000 a day for the simplest and cheapest meals.)
• Laundry, make up and hairdressing: Rp 160,000.
• Accommodation: Rp 600,000.

Clearly there's no room for unexpecteds or luxuries. She gets a uniform and launders this herself.  Her private time is spent washing, ironing and maintaining appearances. She has nothing left for entertainment or travel. Health care is covered by company insurance but there's a monthly limit.

Her Idul Fitri bonus of a month's extra salary is spent on clothes and presents - and money for her parents.

The kos is the best she can afford.  It's a 10 square metre room with plywood partitions sub-dividing a lounge in a shabby private house. There's a rough single bed and a wardrobe; no linen. Lighting is a one 15-watt globe.