The Soenario Kolopaking Team from the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (Fisipol UGM), won first place in the National Student Scientific Article Competition at the Sociology Competition of Unesa (SOCIUS) 2025, hosted by Universitas Negeri Surabaya (UNESA). The competition, held from Jun. 10 to Aug. 3, 2025, brought together participants from eight universities across Indonesia.
The Soenario Kolopaking Team consists of Nurima Setianingrum and Afkaar Nabil Falah, under the supervision of Gregorius Ragil Wibawanto.
They presented their scientific article titled “The Public Between the State and the Market: The Struggles of Women Online Ojek Drivers Amid Layered and Continuous Vulnerabilities.”
Their research highlights the experiences of women online motorcycle taxi drivers in Yogyakarta who face multiple forms of vulnerability, including economic pressures, road safety risks, social stigma, harassment, and the dual burden of being both breadwinners and household caretakers.
Using a qualitative approach through participatory observation and in-depth interviews, the team revealed how these women workers often find themselves “trapped” between minimal state protection and exploitative market logics.
Nevertheless, they build solidarity through communities such as Srikandi and KGMP, which serve as alternative public spaces for mutual support.
“This research shows that digital-based work does not automatically liberate everyone. Behind the sophistication of technology and motivational slogans lie stories of struggle, uncertainty, and the neglect of rights,” said Nurima Setianingrum on Friday (Sep. 26).
Afkaar Nabil Falah added that this achievement underscores the role of sociological research as a tool for social advocacy.
He hopes the study will serve as a reference for governments and platform companies to design fairer policies that prioritize vulnerable groups, particularly women working in the informal digital sector.
“In reality, they are not working to enrich themselves, but simply to make ends meet for the next day,” he said.
Author: Kezia Dwina Nathania
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Salma
Photograph: Soenario Kolopaking Team