Jakarta (ANTARA) - High levels of violence against children and women can hinder children's growth and women’s participation in development, the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (KPPPA) has said.

"The impact of violence can hinder children's growth and development to be not optimal and hinder women's participation in development," KPPPA’s inter-agency relations expert staff Rini Handayani said during an online media talk, accessed from Jakarta on Friday.

As per the 2021 National Women's Life Experience Survey (SPHPN), 1 in 4 women in the 15–64 age group have experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner or non-partner during their lifetime, she noted.

Meanwhile, the 2021 National Survey of Child and Adolescent Life Experiences (SNPHAR) has shown that 3 out of 10 boys and 4 out of 10 girls aged 13–17 have experienced violence in some form in their lifetime.

Handayani said that although the survey figures have shown a decrease in the prevalence of violence against children and women, they are still concerning.

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"Those numbers are still quite high, although there is a decline because violence against children and women is like an iceberg phenomenon," she added.

This is because the actual cases of violence are higher than the reported cases, Handayani said.

In view of the problems faced by women and children, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has issued five directions to KPPPA for priority programs.

The five directives comprise increasing women's empowerment in entrepreneurship with a gender perspective, increasing the role of mothers and families in education or childcare, reducing violence against women and children, reducing child labor, and preventing child marriage.

"Those are the five important things that we must solve together. KPPPA will act as the coordinator to solve those problems," she informed.


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Translator: Zubi Mahrofi, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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