I encourage the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection along with relevant parties to continuously conduct dissemination (of information) for prevention of violence against women and children, one of which is by forming task forces at tJakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) urged the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection to form village- and regional-level task forces to prevent violence against women and children.
"I encourage the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection along with relevant parties to continuously conduct dissemination (of information) for prevention of violence against women and children, one of which is by forming task forces at the village and regional levels," MPR Speaker Bambang Soesatyo noted in his statement here on Thursday.
Soesatyo made the statement in connection with the urgency to handle cases of violence against women and children, especially since they have increased in Indonesia amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Soesatyo expounded that the task forces could conduct advocacy and make efforts to protect children and women, including by educating the community on the utilization of gadgets and social media that can trigger incidents of violence.
He urged the ministry to facilitate victims of violence by optimizing the Women and Children's Friends call center service, WhatsApp service, and the cooperation with relevant agencies in regions and with police officers.
The MPR speaker deemed it crucial to facilitate victims to enable easier preparation of reports and swift handling of cases.
He sought commitment from the government and related parties, such as the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) and other communities, to continue providing comprehensive protection, assistance, and handling for women and child victims of violence, tailored to the needs of victims.
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Earlier, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) called for strict law enforcement against perpetrators of violence against children, including sexual abuse and physical and verbal forms of violence.
"I think strict law enforcement is the responsibility of all of us to prevent it (violence) from recurring," President Jokowi stated after chairing an event to commemorate National Children's Day at the Bogor Botanical Garden, West Java Province, on July 23.
He stressed that perpetrators of violence against children must be legally processed in line with the existing regulations to prevent the occurrence of other cases of violence against children in all forms.
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Translator: Imam Budilaksono, Raka Adji
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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