"The UN Convention has given a mandate to all elements of the community to stop any acts of violence against women and children and to protect them from various forms of violence," Minister of Womens Empowerment and Child Protection Yohana Susana Yembise noted after opening a function to raise awareness on child protection among customary figures and village heads in Biak Numfor District, Papua Province, on Tuesday.
The function aimed at familiarizing the customary figures and village heads on their role to protect women and children from various forms of violence, she remarked.
Womens protection has drawn the attention of all countries to safeguard their human rights in all aspects of life in the community, she said.
To protect Indonesian women and children, the government has issued Law Number 21 of 2014 on child protection and has imposed chemical castration on anyone found guilty of committing a sexual crime against a child, she said.
"The status of women in the Biak customary community is low, thereby making them vulnerable to domestic violence," she said.
Through the activity, she expressed hope that women would no longer have a weak standing in society but will enjoy an equal role in their families.
"Women play a significant role, as they give birth to the future generations of Papua, so they must be free from any form of violence and child neglect," she emphasized.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
