She believes that
violence against children, especially child trafficking and sexual violence against
children living and working on the streets are major concerns for Makassar’s
children.
“Not enough is being
done about these issues,” she says.
Michelin thinks that
too often, children believe they have to work, that it’s their job to support
their families, when in fact they should be learning and playing. Sexual
violence in particular is a real problem for these and other children at risk,
she says, because there is nobody to protect them from violent adults. And there are few active health and legal
services for child survivors in Makassar; making it difficult for children in
rural areas especially to get the help they need.
“We know rape happens,
but nobody talks about it because it’s a taboo. But it’s not just a taboo, it’s
our reality,” she says.
 |
| From left to right: Treatment, Auzain and Michelin from the Makassar Child Forum.
© UNICEF
Indonesia/2014/Lauren Rumble
|
Michelin believes there’s only one way to help poor children and families that send their children to work, allowing them to be exposed to abuse. She thinks the government should promote positive parenting practices and spread knowledge and information about child rights in local villages and communities.
But, she stresses, communicating
this information needs to be done in a way that’s designed by children, for
children. Otherwise campaigns are too complicated and the children they are
intended for don’t understand their messages.
Treatment, also 17
years old and at the same school as Michelin, agrees.
“I wish the government
and UNICEF could start a campaign tackling violence against children that works
child-to-child,” he says.
“This means that
children carry messages of peace and support to each other, helping each other
and teaching each other what to do if they are at risk of violence.”
Auzain, his friend in
the Child Forum, thinks the government ought to do something about youth
violence in Makassar as well.
“Far too many boys my
age are scared in the streets that a gang of youth will beat them with arrows,
stones and knives. Violent fighting amongst boys as young as 13 years is
regularly reported in the media but nobody does anything,” he says.
The children believe
that government should take urgent action to prevent and respond to violence
against children, in all its forms.
They want the school
curriculum to include messages about where and how children can report violence.
They want support within the community for child victims of violence, including
immediate access to health services, and family support to prevent children
seeking work in unsafe conditions.
They want the
government to make children a priority when it comes to the national budget. “The
government has a lot of money, but it’s not theirs actually,” says Auzain. “It is being borrowed from us, the children.”
Most importantly, say Michelin, Treatment and
Auzain, is the need for parents to spend more time with their children.
“I wish parents could just spend a little time
loving and playing with their children every day. Children’s number one priority
is affection, but many times they are just invisible,” they say.
They might be right. Globally, support for families that promotes child safety and
well-being is increasingly being recognised as a successful strategy in
preventing violence against children.
UNICEF
around the world, including in Indonesia, is working to support Governments and
other partners to design culturally appropriate programmes that help parents to
strengthen their relationship with their children and manage children’s behaviour
in a positive way.
Early
investment in protecting children from violence helps children grow up safe and
healthy. It is also a smart investment for future economic growth. Violence, particularly sexual violence and abuse has a
long lasting impact for all children who become victims of such crimes. Violence also puts a hefty social and
financial burden to the family, community and the nation. Preventing violence
therefore is a critical investment for Governments in their country’s future.
In
Makassar, UNICEF and the Government of Indonesia are working closely with
schools, Islamic religious leaders and social workers to roll out dedicated
training materials that focus on non-violent strategies for
raising children at home, at school and in the communities.
The
Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection is simultaneously
investing in toll-free hotlines for children to report violence and abuse cases
at provincial and district levels and accompanying integrated services for
survivors of violence to receive counselling and care.
But
there is still much to be done. Violence
is indeed a daily reality for far too many children in Indonesia, as the
country’s first ever violence against children survey led by the Government
will soon reveal. Few survivors seek the often life-saving support they
deserve. And all too frequently, like in Makassar, the government budget
available for child protection work is limited and does not match the scale of
need.
I look forward to visiting Makassar again, after the new Strategic Plan
for the Government (RPJMN 2015-2019) is adopted; hoping that child protection
is a priority for all. This means survivor services are available in every
district, laws protecting children are enforced and community-based efforts to
stop violence against children are fully funded - just as Michelin and her peers have advised.
The
Child Forum in Makassar is optimistic that this is possible. So am I.
