UNICEF Partners with Indonesia’s Scouts Movement Pramuka

By Kinanti Pinta Karana, UNICEF Indonesia Communication Specialist

Pramuka Chairman Bapak Adhyaksa Dault (sixth rom right), with UNICEF Indonesia Representative Ibu Gunilla Olsson (third from right), Director of Radio Republik Indonesia Ibu Niken Widiastuti (second from right) and Chief of Communication and Resource Mobilization Bapak Michael Klaus (far right) with Chief of UNICEF Makassar Field Office Bapak Purwanta Iskandar and members of Pramuka at the signing 26 November 2015.  © UNICEF Indonesia/2015/Santoso.

JAKARTA, Indonesia, 26 November 2015 - Things were bustling at the Kwartir Nasional Gerakan Pramuka, the Headquarters of Indonesia’s Scouts Movement in Jakarta ahead of a much-anticipated event: The signing of a partnerships agreement between Pramuka and UNICEF Indonesia.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed by Pramuka Chairman Adhyaksa Dault and UNICEF Indonesia Representative Gunilla Olsson on 26 November 2015, paves the way for a collaboration to strengthen the implementation of children’s rights in Indonesia.

Bapak Adhyaksa said he had been looking forward to the MOU signing. “Pramuka will use the collaboration with UNICEF to promote the protection of children and their right to express themselves.”

Big Show of Support at Pelindung Anak Sign Up Event

By Nick Baker, Communication and Knowledge Management Officer 

Thousands of people have signed up as a Pelindung Anak, including  Minister Yohana Yembise (second from left) and UNICEF Indonesia National Ambassador Ferry Salim (right). ©UNICEF Indonesia/2015/Nick Baker

Indonesians from all walks of life came together on Universal Children’s Day 2015 to stand up against violence and become a Pelindung Anak (Child Protector).

Ministers, actors, psychologists and models were just some of the people who attended UNICEF Indonesia’s sign up event for its innovative new Pelindung Anak campaign.

The campaign aims to create a movement that raises awareness and fuels action to end violence against children.

Participants were encouraged to visit the campaign website (www.pelindunganak.org), where they could register to receive information on the extent of violence in Indonesia and commit to protect children in their area.

“Violence against children is the silent crisis of Indonesia. It will only stop if all of us come together and protect every child as if they are our own,” UNICEF Indonesia Representative Gunilla Olsson said. “If it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes a village to protect a child.”

U-Report Indonesia: Numbers Continue to Rise

By Vania Santoso – Innovation Lab Youth Engagement Officer

Thousands of high school students use Twitter. ©UNICEF Indonesia/2015/Vania Santoso

“Who has Twitter here? Come on, let me see your hands up!” asked the master of ceremonies at a U-Report event during the 16th Bedah Kampus Universitas Indonesia (BKUI16). Almost all of the participants raised their hands. It was no surprise, as Indonesia has one of the highest rates of social media usage in the world.

The BKUI16 was a two-day open house for high school students to get to know more about Universitas Indonesia (UI). More than 16,000 people participated. Experiences for the students included a Faculties Road Show, UI’s famous public transportation - the BiKun (Bis Kuning, meaning Yellow Bus), and a Plenary Session with figures like news anchor Najwa Shihab, economist and politician Faisal Basri, and singer Vadi Akbar.

During this particular session, participants learned about U-Report Indonesia. U-Report is a social messaging tool developed by UNICEF that allows young people to report on child rights issues. The information is then used to engage with government and other counterparts to bring about positive, practical change.

Wins4Girls: Voices from the Field - Improving menstrual hygiene management in schools

Background

Menstrual hygiene remains a taboo in many settings, with poor knowledge and misconceptions as great a challenge as access to adequate facilities. In recent years, a solid body of evidence has revealed the discriminatory nature of many school environments, with menstruating girls unable to adequately manage their monthly menses with safety, dignity and privacy. Further compounding the problem is the lack of a positive enabling at all levels, from national policies to local school regulations. In recognition of the positive impact on girls’ education, initiatives around the world are addressing adolescent girls’ menstrual hygiene management (MHM) needs in coordination with ongoing efforts to improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities and knowledge gaps.

Since March 2014 the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) has been funding the project ‘WASH in Schools for Girls: Advocacy and Capacity Building for MHM through WASH in Schools Programmes’ (also known as the Wins4Girls Programme). Phase I involved the development and delivery of a web-based course to strengthen capacity of national research partners, WASH practitioners and policymakers to carry out rigorous research on MHM. Participants from 14 countries (Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan and Zambia) took part in the WinS for Girls E-Course. Each of the 14 countries is currently conducting MHM research in schools. The results will inform the development of interventions to improve WinS for Girls.

To document the successes, challenges and lessons learned during the research undertaken in Indonesia, Jeff Sinden (UNICEF Consultant) spoke with Aidan Cronin (WASH Chief) and Claire Quillet (WASH Specialist) from UNICEF’s Indonesia Country Office.