“Expand social protection services and shelters for unsupported pregnant women, including teenage girls who are victims of sexual violence,” Netty noted in an official statement received in Jakarta on Thursday.
Her statement came in response to the recent disclosure of a baby trafficking case by the West Java Regional Police (Polda Jabar).
She remarked that the case reflects ongoing weaknesses in the country's protection system for babies, vulnerable mothers, and women under social or economic pressure.
It was revealed that at least 24 babies were sold by a trafficking ring abroad, with prices ranging from Rp11 million to Rp16 million per baby, and some were sold even before birth.
The West Java police stated that they will continue investigating the case and are working with Interpol to trace other possible victims sent overseas.
“This heinous practice is just the tip of the iceberg of deeper structural problems, such as poverty, lack of reproductive health education, weak social protection for unmarried pregnant women, and legal loopholes exploited by trafficking syndicates,” Netty, who serves on Commission IX overseeing health and social protection, stated.
She pointed out that pregnant women facing economic hardship, sexual violence, or abandonment, and those who lack protection or safe life options, are easy targets for human trafficking networks.
Netty urged the government to strengthen early detection systems and crack down on illegal adoption practices. She also called on civil society groups, community organizations, and religious institutions to offer psychosocial and moral support for vulnerable mothers and children.
“The state must be present not only to take action after crimes occur but also to prevent them from the outset through protection and empowerment,” she remarked.
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Translator: Primayanti
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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