KSP: Empowerment And Protection Of Women Will Never Stop Because Of The Pandemic

JAKARTA - The government through the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) has ensured that the COVID-19 pandemic does not reduce efforts to strengthen protection and empowerment of women. One of them is through the Strategic Priority Project (major project) to Accelerate the Reduction of Maternal Mortality and Stunting.

Where maternal and child health is the government's priority program, which targets the maternal mortality rate to be reduced to 183 per 100,000 live births with the prevalence of balitra stunting dropping to 14 percent in 2024.

"Although this target is ambitious, it can mobilize all stakeholders. The government is quite confident that if it is supported by many parties, cross-sectoral coordination is very important," said Deputy II to the Presidential Chief of Staff, Abetnego Tarigan in his statement, Monday, December 21.

Furthermore, Abetnego conveyed that women, especially mothers, have an important role in the development of human resources (HR). Considering that in 2015, the maternal mortality rate was still high with 305 per 100,000 live births, while 27.7 percent of children under five in Indonesia were stunted in 2019.

Related to this, welcoming Mother's Day on 22 December 2020, KSP and the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (Kemen PPPA) held a webinar with the theme 'Supporting Women's Active Participation in Preparing a Golden Generation'.

"This event invites various parties to convey various views that will be input for the Government in realizing empowered women for the sake of advanced Indonesia," said Abetnego.

On the same occasion, the Presidium of the Mother and Child Health Movement (GKIA), Upi Supriyatiningsih, realized that women currently have a difficult task. Upi explained, women must prepare great human beings who will advance Indonesia.

"So the first step in making it happen can be started from oneself, namely maintaining physical and psychological health. Women must be healthy to give birth to a healthy generation, one of which is to be free from stunting, ”said Upi.

Upi also added that women as architects of the nation's civilization, apart from being intelligent, must also have high concern for their surroundings. In addition, said Upi, women must also be sensitive to all the problems around them, to become the initiators of new creative and innovative ideas for solving problems in the surrounding community.

Siti Rubaidah, representative of Indonesian Women's Action (API) Kartini also agreed with Upi's statement. According to him, women as mothers have a strategic role in preparing the nation's generation. He encouraged the state to guarantee protection for women and children from all forms of violence through various policies.

"There must also be state recognition of the rights of women as heads of families (single mothers). In addition, it is also necessary to fulfill the basic rights of women and children, such as education, health, day care, nursing homes for the elderly, counseling services, and safe houses, ”said Siti.