The never-ending problem named female migrant workers: A critical discourse analysis of Indonesian media

The Indonesian media seems to confirm the endless suffering of Indonesian migrant workers (IMWs). In June 2011, Ruyati Binti Satubi’s execution in Saudi Arabia was put in the spotlight by widespread national media coverage. The government seemed to ignore the problem, but it is more striking as to how the execution was also ignored by high-ranking female officials. Study of women’s voices and gender bias in the news coverage is important since most victims are female migrant workers (FMW). It focuses on how Ruyati’s execution was framed in three national newspapers. Interviews were conducted with a journalist, a female migrant worker, a media observer, a political observer and a feminist blogger. This study concludes that: Fewer female voices are represented by the media; IMWs are powerless; Indonesia’s foreign diplomacy and internal bureaucracy are weak; and female politicians’ awareness of migrant workers’ problems was an individual position rather than a gender movement.