VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Executive director of the International Pediatric Association (IPA), Prof. Dr. Aman Bhakti Pulungan, SpA(K). (ANTARA/Rizka Khaerunnisa) - 

Executive director of the International Pediatric Association (IPA), Prof. Dr. Aman Bhakti Pulungan, SpA(K), has lauded the Indonesian government's decision to start COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged 6 to 11 years.

The government kicked off COVID-19 vaccinations for children in the 6–11 age group on Tuesday (December 14, 2021). The vaccination program kicked off at three schools in the three provinces of Jakarta, West Java, and Banten.

"I want to say that IPA really appreciates the efforts that the Indonesian government has made. We are one of the countries that have started immunizing children (against COVID-19),” Pulungan said at a virtual press conference on Friday.

It is essential to prioritize vaccinations for children considering that Indonesia is a low-middle income country that has the potential to experience a significant impact if a spike in COVID-19 cases occurs, he added.

In addition, he said that COVID-19 vaccinations could support children's participation in face-to-face learning at schools, which can help recover their mental health after a prolonged period of learning from home.

"The indirect effects of COVID-19 are learning, mental, and emotional disorders," he observed.

Children's vaccinations are also deemed necessary because mitigation efforts are still hard to be implemented at schools, especially in peripheral areas, the IPA executive director noted.

General chairperson of the Indonesian Pediatric Association (IDAI), Dr. Piprim Basarah Yanuarso, SpA(K), also welcomed the government's decision to start vaccinating children in the 6–11 age group.

He appealed to parents to utilize the chance that the government has provided to get their children immunized against COVID-19.

As part of efforts to build community immunity against COVID-19, the Indonesian government launched a nationwide vaccination program on January 13, 2021.

On December 14, 2021, the country began vaccinating children in the 6–11 age group after Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin issued Ministerial Decree Number HK.01.07/MENKES/6688/2021 on the Implementation of the COVID-19 Vaccination for Children aged 6–11 years old//ANT

Talk show on Female Athletes with Disabilities Need More Tournaments to Show Achievements organized by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - 

Disabled athletes feel that their existence is considered equal to non-disabled athletes. However, they need more tournaments to show their achievements because there are fewer tournaments for them, especially female athletes, compared to tournaments held for non-disabled athletes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We can see together in the media how busy the schedule of activities for each non-disabled athlete is to compete in the championship. While some Paralympic events for us athletes with disabilities had to be canceled due to the pandemic. We realize that the current pandemic is experienced by all countries. Some events for persons with disabilities were cancelled, but this did not apply to non-disabled persons. It's very sad for us athletes with disabilities,” said Leani Ratri Oktila, the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics Gold-winning badminton athlete, in a talk show organized by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) recently.

For this reason, ASEAN has received support from the Government of Japan. Last week, ASEAN-Japan held a talk show with ten female athlete ambassadors from all over ASEAN, namely HRH Putri Azemah Ni'matul Bolkiah (Bronze medal winner at the 29th and 30th SEA Games from Brunei Darussalam), Sokha Pov (World Championship gold medalist). Vovinam from Cambodia), and Leani Ratri Oktila (Best Women's Para-badminton 2018 and 2019 Badminton World Federation, 2020 Tokyo Paralympics Gold Winner).

Other athlete ambassadors are head swimming coach for the Laos Olympic Team Soulamphone Kerdla, Farah Ann Abdul Hadi (Malaysia), Soe Soe Myar (referee and athlete from Myanmar), Amitha Berthier (Junior Foil Fencer #1 World and Tokyo 2020 Olympics from Singapore), Panikpak Wongpattnakit (Tokyo 2020 Olympic taekwondo gold medalist from Thailand), Tuyet Van Chau (fourth consecutive Taekwondo gold medalist at the SEA Games), and Hidilyn Diaz (Tokyo Olympic weightlifting gold medal winner from the Philippines).

Jamshed M Kazi, the UN Women Country Representative for Indonesia and Liaison to ASEAN in Jakarta, said female athletes can take a good advocacy role to address various problems experienced by women such as domestic violence, sexual harassment during training and coaching and others. other. “This is a very difficult and traumatic experience for female athletes to go through. However, it's exactly a forum like this where I think women speaking out can voice their experiences, but it's also very difficult to do because there are often long-term consequences for their careers."

Kazi said that if injustice and violence against women were voiced by victims or survivors, they would be taken more seriously. Today, more and more sports organization justice systems and states are taking this issue more seriously. “There is a charge placed. But I think it's important for female athletes to speak up when they themselves are victims or survivors."

Female athletes can also be very strong advocates for raising the issue of gender-based violence in other fields. For example, in the ASEAN region there are still many issues surrounding child marriage. There is a lot of pressure on young women to marry early and not pursue sports or pursue studies. “I think that these women's voices and their own personal experiences. By being a star, by being an influencer, a lot of other kids and young women look their way. So, I think there are two, we on the one hand have to look after these athletes and their well-being, making sure they are free from violence of any kind. But also make sure that we can, they also see this issue as something they have a role and responsibility to talk about across the region," he said.

In addition to the issue of violence, female athletes also face media coverage that can be highly biased against women. This is especially true for athletes who take part in sports that require special clothing. “Especially for me being a gymnast. We are sometimes spoken of in a negative way, whether it be our appearance or our clothes. That's what is shown in the media. I think those are some of the barriers that I am trying to break down to bring a more positive light to women in sport,” said Farah Ann Abdul Hadi, athlete from Malaysia.

Tomohiko Arai, (Director, International Affairs Division of Japan Sports Agency, said that ASEAN and Japan have long established close relations in the field of sports. Both parties have held the ASEAN Plus Japan Ministerial Meeting on Sports every year since 2013. "Among the sports cooperation between ASEAN and Japan, the issue of women in sports is definitely one of the main areas," she said.

To achieve gender equality in sports, ASEAN-Japan held a discussion meeting with stakeholders during the 2018 ASEAN Games in Jakarta and the 1st ASEAN Plus Japan Meeting on Women in Sports in October 2019 in the Philippines. "The ASEAN-Japan Workshop on Promoting Gender Equality in Sports was held online during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics this summer in collaboration with the Japanese Sports Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," he said.

Ekkaphab Phanthavong, Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, said that women in ASEAN have made many achievements. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, three gold medals were successfully donated by female athletes. However, learning from discussions with sports ambassadors and experts, it is necessary to consider some aspects beyond their achievements in their participation in various sports competitions. All parties must begin to pay attention to the leadership and career paths of women in sports institutions, as well as their safety and protection.

A statement from the sports ambassadors revealed that the family has played a strong role in inspiring female athletes to continue pursuing careers in the sport and work hard towards their dreams. “What motivated me the most to reach and succeed at this level was the support from my parents, especially my family who were very clear. That's what motivates me the most," said Leani Ratri Oktila

In addition, perseverance, self-confidence and a good support system are the keys to the success of female athletes. Female athletes need more sporting events, infrastructure and opportunities to represent their respective countries. Their work cannot be separated from the environment that is conducive to supporting their careers, including the support of media coverage//VOI-NK

File photo. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett holds a Cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, Israel, on Dec 5, 2021. (Photo: Gil Cohen-Magen/Pool via Reuters) - 

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will travel the United Arab Emirates on Sunday (Dec 12) and meet the Gulf state's de facto ruler in the highest-level visit since the countries formalised relations last year.

The trip comes amid heightened regional tension as world powers' try to renew a nuclear deal with Iran. Israel and some Gulf Arabs share concern over Iranian activities in the region.

"I will be going out today to the United Arab Emirates, in the first visit ever by an Israeli prime minister," Bennett told a meeting of his Cabinet on Sunday.

There was no immediate confirmation from Abu Dhabi.

The UAE along with Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco moved toward normal ties with Israel under a US-sponsored initiative dubbed the "Abraham Accords" in reference to the biblical patriarch revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims.

Bennett's trip on Sunday would be the first by an Israeli premier to any of those four countries.

He will meet Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan on Monday, Bennett's office said.

The two leaders will discuss deepening ties, with an emphasis on economic issues that will contribute to prosperity, welfare and strengthening stability between the countries, the Israeli statement added//CNA

A general view of the Burj Khalifa and the downtown skyline in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Jun 12, 2021. (Photo: REUTERS/Christopher Pike) - 

Being raised in the Middle East with a lack of savings and investment culture, many young Arabs are turning to online banking services to help track their spending and budget.

When Mayar Akrameh was growing up in Lebanon, financial advice was simple: work long, work hard and aim for a high-paying job.

Now the 29-year-old management consultant is one of a growing number of young Arabs who are turning to financial technology, or "fintech", to help them save and invest, often a neglected practice in the Middle East.

"We're taught that if you're working and making enough money, even if you hate your job, you're good," she told AFP. "Or they think we're good."

Akrameh moved to the United Arab Emirates in 2019 at the start of Lebanon's financial crisis, which would later see the local currency plunge to all-time lows, with many people denied free access to their savings by stringent banking controls.

The region's economic instability, exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, has spurred many to turn to online banking and financial tools.

Akrameh, who did not know how to invest and save money when she started generating income, now uses an app to track her spending.

"It's not just about retiring; it's about living better, having dreams, having time to breathe and reflect," she said.

S&P Global said in a 2019 report that indicators showed Gulf Arab countries appeared the most ready for fintech adoption, with the key driver being demand and a preference by clients for digital banking.

The fintech sector across the Middle East is already growing, according to the Milken Institute think tank.

It estimates that 465 companies will raise more than US$2 billion by 2022 compared with the 30 fintech firms that raised around $80 million in 2017.

In addition to having some of the world's youngest populations and highest unemployment rates, many countries in the Middle East and North Africa rank among the lowest for long-term savers and investors.

Only seven per cent of adults in the region save for retirement, according to the World Bank's 2016 Saving for Old Age report - the lowest across global economies.

"Arabs, we took the really tough path to wealth," said Mark Chahwan, the CEO of Sarwa, a Dubai-based automated financial consultancy firm.

"We think our income is what's going to make us rich instead of our capital," he told AFP.

Most oil-rich Gulf Arab states, including top crude exporter Saudi Arabia, have long provided their citizens with government-sponsored pensions.

But Saudi officials have warned the system is unsustainable, according to Bloomberg, as Riyadh tries to diversify its economy away from oil.

Also, such pensions exclude foreigners, many of whom provide cheap labour and make up a large proportion of the population in many Gulf states.

Chahwan said he has noticed a shift in financial behaviour in the past year, in large part due to the pandemic, which devastated many industries and saw many people lose their jobs.

He said there was an 80 per cent increase in new Sarwa accounts since the first quarter of 2020, with up to 45,000 portfolios of people between the ages of 25 and 45.

Chahwan said the average user was new to the idea of long-term investment, with many Arabs still hesitant about having to wait for benefits later rather than make quick profits.

"We don't have education that revolves around long-term investing," he said, adding that the obstacle remains convincing eager investors of the benefits of delayed gratification.

Another issue is the region's investment landscape, which is mostly limited to so-called high-net-worth individuals, usually defined as people with at least US$1 million in liquid assets.

"If someone wanted to invest US$1,000 or US$10,000, there was not much available," said Haitham Juma, an investment solutions manager at the UAE-based National Bank of Fujairah.

He said smaller-ticket investors need wealth management options with more transparency, accessibility and liquidity that will help build the region's investment market.

"We are still at the early stages of it," said Juma, as local banks and firms seek to create online platforms that educate users and simplify investing.

Making the process easier - or even fun - is key to attracting new investors, as outlined by Lune, a UAE-based finance platform that launched in July.

"It doesn't matter their age, their income or their experience," Alexandre Soued, the app's co-founder, told AFP.

He added that the platform's focus is on the initial steps of managing, saving and then investing, and encouraging them to use simple online tools.

Lune allows its nearly 1,000 users to instantly visualise their spending, swipe to optimise savings, and soon, Soued said, they will be able to compare their savings to others their age.

"People are starting to want to be more independent from younger ages," he told AFP. "And your financial situation is attached to that."//CNA