TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Women Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohana Susana Yambisa said that Indonesia’s women and child protection policies were being appreciated by Muslim majority countries at a ministerial conference on women and child protection on April 27 in Mashad, Iran. “Indonesia could become a role model,” Yohana said in a press conference at his office yesterday.
The forum named ‘Social and Family Policy Making in Islamic Societies’ discussed issues and achievements of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states in women and child protection. He said that countries are facing different problems related to women and children. “Including in conflict-ridden countries where women and children are worst affected.”
Yohana said that he gave a speech about the role of families in the national building. “The problem is in the family. Many have wrongly raised [their children] leading to prevalent criminal incidents. It would be different if we had good families, there will be mutual understanding between husbands and wives, which will be good for children,” she noted.
There are currently 60 million families in Indonesia. Women make up half of the country’s population, whereas children make up one-third of the population.
“In total, they make up 67 percent of Indonesia’s population. We have to protect their rights, protect them from crimes, exploitation and discrimination,” Yohana said.
The ministerial conference in Iran was attended by Iran Vice President for Family Affairs Shahindokht Molaverdi and ministries from seven countries, namely Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Syria, Mauritania and Iraq, as well as ambassadors and experts in protection for women and children.
YOHANES PASKALIS