VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Bintang Puspayoga affirmed that the national Child Protection Index (IPA) and Child Rights Fulfillment Index (IPHA) were able to surpass the targets the government set in 2020.

In 2020, the national Child Protection Index exceeded the set target of 66.34, as it was pegged at 66.89. A similar trend could be observed with the Child Rights Fulfillment Index in 2020, in which a rate of 65.56 was recorded, exceeding the target of 64.00.

"This achievement is our collective success, as the administration responsible for child protection efforts," the minister noted in a written statement in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Despite Indonesia's achievements stated earlier, the rate of the Child Special Protection Index (IPKA) had yet to reach the set target. The recorded rate was just 73.11, lower than the target of 74.46 set in the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) .

Puspayoga noted that the COVID-19 pandemic was a factor causal to the low achievement based on how it affected several indicators, especially impacting children from the vulnerable groups, to decline or even worsen, including increased child labor, child marriages, and children living in extreme poverty or below the poverty line.

The minister called for diverting greater attention to the Child Special Protection Index rate.

This data serves as a basis to create children protection priority programs and policies, especially for vulnerable children in need of special protection in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, the ministry, along with the Central Bureau of Statistics, has completed calculating the achievements and forecasted the rate projection of the three indexes at the provincial level.

It showed diverse index distribution at the provincial level. Some provinces scored rates that are still far below the national figures.

Puspayoga noted that provinces with such rates below the national average must work harder to ensure the right strategies to improve child protection.

"Child protection can only be achieved if all inter-sectoral parties work hard and work together," the minister affirmed.  (Antaranews)