Two Bali's villages appreciated for saving women and children from drugs

Klungkung, Bali (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Government has conferred the women and children-friendly village title to two villages in Klungkung District, Bali Province, for their successful protection of women and children from drug abuse and addiction.

The title was bestowed upon Tegak Village in Klungkung Subdistrict and Suana Village in Nusa Penida Subdistrict by the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) Ministry in an event held here on Saturday (July 6).

The event, which took place at Tegak Village's multifunction hall, was attended by PPPA Minister Bintang Puspayoga, acting Bali Governor Sang Made Mahendra Jaya, and Bali's National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Head Rudy Ahmad Sudrajat.

In her remarks, Minister Bintang highlighted the importance of empowering women and children and protecting them from drug abuse and addiction.

To this end, she urged all elements of society to work closely to get the women's and children's rights fulfilled while the title given to two villages will encourage the local authorities and residents to push forward the protection of women and children.

"We call on the Klungkung district head to continue to push for the implementation of the women and children-friendly villages in Klungkung," she added.

As reported earlier, drug lords still perceive Indonesia as a potential market due to its vast population, and millions of drug users. The value of the drug trade in the country is estimated to have reached about Rp66 trillion.

Therefore, Indonesia has seen drug addiction spiral into a life-threatening problem for millions of its people.

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin alone had ever marked the UN Day in 2021 by drawing the collective attention of Indonesians to the grave threat posed by drug crimes to the country.

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin cited the results of a survey conducted by the BNN and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), which has pegged the number of drug users in Indonesia at 3.4 million.

Referring to the survey, Amin noted that around 180 of every 10 thousand Indonesians, aged between 15 and 64, have fallen into drug addiction.

He warned that the nation is not only seeing a huge number of drug users in the productive age group but is also being challenged by massive drug trafficking operations.

"Drug trades have reached villages and are involving women and children, who are becoming drug couriers as well as users," he stated.