The Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry and Home Affairs Ministry conducted a verification process as part of the evaluation for Surabaya to be recognized as a child-friendly city.

The head of Surabaya women’s empowerment, child protection, population control, and family planning office, Tomi Ardiyanto, said in a statement on Friday that the verification process had been ongoing since Thursday, July 7.

“The verification was to see firsthand, the implementation of the commitment of the city government or regional leaders and regional bureaucracy in pursuing a program related to children’s rights. There are many indicators, alright. There are 24, among which there were the funding allocation and children rights protection program,” he elaborated.

He stated that the Surabaya Government had undergone the child-friendly city administrative verification process, and on Thursday, July 7, the Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry and Home Affairs Ministry had conducted a survey to match the execution in practice with the initial plan of the program.

“We bring them to the place (that handles) children rights’ matters, owned by the city government. We expect that once the collective commitment of the bureaucracy, stakeholders, and regional leadership coordination forum can (lead to) children’s rights being sustainably protected, Surabaya can (be promoted) as the first place in the child-friendly city (nomination) this year,” he remarked.

The leader of the child-friendly city verification team, who is concurrently the deputy assistant of children’s health and education rights’ fulfillment at the Women Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry, Rohika Kurniadi Sari, said that her administration considered Surabaya City to meet the requirements to be recognized as a child-friendly city. It could be gauged from the 24 indicators set as parameters by the city government.

The Surabaya government is required to commit to the current system, so as to ensure the fulfilment of children’s rights, she noted. This should not only receive support from the government but also stakeholders as well as the regional leadership coordination forum.

Sari cited as an example that in the cases of violence against children that had to be resolved with that system, it must also be done hand-in-hand with the stakeholders, so as to guarantee protection for children.

Source: Antara News