"The commemoration of Mother's Day is expected to encourage all stakeholders to pay attention and acknowledge the importance of women in various development sectors that are expected to have a positive influence on improving the quality of life, fulfill women's rights, and support progress," Central Sulawesi Governor, Rusdy Mastura, stated in Palu on Wednesday.
Mastura also noted that during the commemoration of National Mother's Day, men should be encouraged to be on the forefront in ensuring the fulfillment of rights and protection of women, as a form of responsibility.
"I agree that men should be the pioneers and not the reported ones," Mastura affirmed.
Men should not be the ones being reported since physical and psychological violence were being committed against women, he remarked.
Mastura noted that men should instead be the ones protecting women from all threats and dangers of physical and psychological violence.
"Men (must) become the protectors of women, (guarding them) from all forms of violent acts, becoming the protectors of women, and (taking up the role of) breadwinners," he stated.
Head of the Central Sulawesi Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Office, Ihsan Basir, stated that men's full involvement and support was necessary for the fulfilment of women's rights.
"To achieve gender equality, which has an impact on optimizing welfare development, the (contribution) from men is needed," Basir stressed.
The office head noted that men should be protectors in order to reduce and even eradicate violence against women.
Basir also noted that fulfillment of the rights of vulnerable people, women, and children required supporting programs and policies from the provincial to district and city government.
"Regional governments at the provincial and district or city levels must create programs or activities to prevent violent acts against women and children, or gender-based violence, in regional strategic plans," he remarked.
Basir stated that the programs, readied to protect women against violent acts, aimed to support the realization of long- and medium-term regional development plans.
The provincial and district levels of city governments could then expedite efforts based on the programs, including through expediting information on the protection and fulfillment of women's rights, he concluded.
Translator: M Hajiji, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
