TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) launched a pilot initiative that aims to engage men and boys in Papua on sexual and reproductive health to help reduce the incidence of gender-based violence in Jayapura on Wednesday, July 8, 2015.

The Minister for Women Empowerment and Child Protection, Yohana Yembise, along with UNFPA’s representative for Indonesia, Jose Ferraris, launched the event. In his keynote address, Ferraris called on Papuan males to take responsibility for an equal division of labour in their households in order to encourage them to interact with their partners with an attitude of mutual respect, promoting relationships that are equitable, healthy and free from violence.

"Evidence demonstrates that male engagement plays a core role in addressing gender inequality. By involving men in policy and program discussions we can confront the underlying gender norms and values that lead to discriminatory behaviors," explained Mr. Ferraris during his opening address.

"We can challenge the structures that reinforce male advantage, and strengthen those that support gender equality," continued Ferraris.

Under the direction of the Men Care Papua initiative, UNFPA encourages men to play an equal role as caregivers to improve child and maternal health and promote sexual and reproductive health - an important, if not necessary, move considering that Papua's maternal health continues to lag behind other parts of Indonesia.

It is known that the province also suffers from a generalized HIV epidemic, with an HIV prevalence rate of 2.4 percent amongst 15-49 year olds. This is triggered mainly by unsafe sexual behavior - worsened by the fact that the use of contraceptive rate in Papua is only 24.5 percent – significantly low compared to the national coverage at 61 percent.

Violence against women and children (VAWC) is also high. According to the National Socio Economic Survey on VAWC in 2006, Papua had the highest prevalence of VAWC in Indonesia.

RA