Minister Yohanan Opens Meeting On Child Protection

Kupang, E Nusa Tenggara (Antara Bali)- Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohanan Yambise officially opened a national consultative meeting on child protection here, Wednesday.

"The meeting is being organized jointly by the East Nusa Tenggara administration, the women's empowerment and child protection minister, and Plan International in Indonesia," the minister revealed.

According to the minister, one out of every four boys experiences physical violence, while one out of every seven girls experiences physical violence, including sexual assault.

"It is very concerning that 77 percent of boys and 85 percent of girls do not know about the existence of child protection services," she pointed out.

The minister laid emphasis on the importance of preventive efforts in child protection and affirmed that the public must play a more active role in decreasing child violence.

"Law No. 3/2014 on child protection has mandated that the public must play an active role in child protection," she stated.    

Founded over 75 years ago, Plan International is one of the oldest and largest children's development organizations in the world.

The organization has worked in 70 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Americas to promote child rights and lift millions of children out of poverty.

Plan aims to achieve lasting improvements in the quality of life of deprived children in developing countries, through a process that unites people across cultures and adds meaning and value to their lives. (WDY)