November 2021
For Global Research Programme on Inequality (GRIP)
Laely is one of the 2018 INGSA Research Associates
GRIP is proud to present this series of essays, published on behalf of INGSA.
While the need for trusted, quality research and evidence on the COVID9 pandemic is needed at every level of government and society, how this information is sourced, synthesised and utilised in the midst of a crisis, is not uniform around the world, or even within jurisdictions. As an international network of people at the forefront of working at the science/society/policy interfaces, INGSA is well-positioned to aggregate the information and the lessons arising out of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Dr Laely is one of the 2021 INGSA Covid Policy Global Rapporteurs in this Citizen-Social-Science research project.
This is the second article published by GRIP on behalf of INGSA. See the first in the series here
COVID-19 and the implications and response on urban and rural poor in Indonesia
Indonesia is in the middle of a second wave of infection as delta strain is spreading quickly especially in a mega city such as Jakarta. The government response is to implement restrictions of community activities (PPKM) to slow down the spread of deadly virus.[1] The impact of these movement restrictions has caused the increase of unemployment and poverty in the region.[3] The majority of sectors affected by movement restrictions include: hotels, tourism, informal sectors, manufacturing and retails, and other services. Most poor people living in urban and rural areas, work in informal sectors. The majority of this work has lack of social protection, rights at work and decent working conditions.
This article will examine the implications of movement restrictions as measures to curb the spread of the virus on urban and rural poor in Indonesia. This article highlights the importance of social safety nets including food security and health protection in times of pandemic. One of the main challenges of social protection schemes in Indonesia is a good and updated database system on the beneficiaries of social policies. This article contends that targeted social safety protection remains a critical policy in times of pandemic and its successful implementation depends on good data on possible beneficiaries. By improving such data through one data policy will help to address such challenges as food insecurity among the poor and vulnerable groups.