Supporting Mothers and Families Through Public Transport Policy

Facilities for breastfeeding and disability access on trains would turn equality from words into daily practice

***

The recent suggestion by Indonesia’s Vice President, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, to provide nursery or lactation rooms and better toilet facilities for people with disabilities on trains deserves attention. His statement came as a response to a DPR proposal to create smoking carriages. The contrast is striking: one request prioritises comfort for smokers, while the other seeks to support parents, people with disabilities, and groups that have long been underserved. Facilities for these communities are still rare in Indonesia. They are mostly found in shopping malls or certain offices, not in everyday public spaces like transport.

In fact, the idea is not entirely new. Japan, for instance, equips its Sanyo and Hokuriku Shinkansen trains with multipurpose rooms for breastfeeding, diaper changing tables, and even baby beds. If Indonesia follows this example, it would be more than just a symbolic step. It could be a real move towards equality. Three reasons stand out: equitable access to public services, health and comfort for families, and a more supportive policy environment within Indonesia’s family framework.

A dedicated space for lactation or nursery needs also fits well with broader equity principles and Indonesia’s recent commitment during World Breastfeeding Week to “support all mothers.” Such spaces give breastfeeding mothers dignity and comfort while traveling. The progress is encouraging, exclusive breastfeeding rates have risen from 52 percent in 2017 to 66.4 percent in 2024, according to WHO and UNICEF. Yet barriers remain. Many women still lack knowledge about proper latching, have limited access to skilled counselling, and face environments that are not supportive, whether at work, in public spaces, or even within the family. Stress is a well-known factor that disrupts breastfeeding. Having a clean, private space onboard would reduce that stress and allow uninterrupted feeding or milk expression. Other passengers benefit too, since diaper changes often happen on seats for lack of alternatives.

Indonesia’s family policy still reflects what scholars call a neofamilialist model. Caregiving is assumed to rest mainly with mothers and extended families. Formal childcare provision is limited, and government policy largely reinforces women as caregivers rather than redistributing responsibility to the state or employers. Labour protections are also minimal, short maternity leave, only a few days of paternity leave, and no universal caregiver incentives. This strongly shapes parental decisions about whether mothers remain in the workforce or stay home as full-time carers. Placing nursery rooms on trains could be more than a facility upgrade. It could be read as a policy signal that public services are willing to share the responsibility of caregiving, even modestly. Such support would matter not only for family well-being but also for worker mobility, business travel, and daily commutes.

Cultural aspects matter too. In Indonesia, shaped by Eastern traditions and religious values, many women are hesitant to breastfeed openly. Some use scarves or covers, but most prefer the privacy of a room. By providing such facilities, public infrastructure adapts to social norms while still affirming women’s rights to breastfeed comfortably.

The hope is that this proposal does not remain just a response to a smoking-room debate, but becomes a concrete initiative. Equality should not live only in policy papers or statistics. It should appear in practice, consistently applied. We have already seen how pedestrian pathways for people with disabilities are sometimes poorly installed or disconnected from other facilities, making them unusable. A nursery room on trains, if done properly, would represent more than convenience - it would represent a commitment to humanity.