World Children’s Day 2022, which falls on November 20, must serve as a momentum to reject and eradicate sexual violence against women and children, North Sulawesi Governor Olly Dondokambey has said.

“In commemoration of World Children’s Day this year, we reject violence against children and their mothers,” Dondokambey told ANTARA after a welcome lunch ahead of World Children’s Day, here on Friday.

The governor said that World Children’s Day is a reminder that now is the right time to build a great and smart generation who can live comfortably and safely through the realization of environments that are free from sexual violence.

In order to eradicate sexual violence, especially in North Sulawesi, the regional government has issued a number of regulations related to the prevention of early marriage and sexual violence, he noted.

The issuance of the regulations is aimed at reducing the number of early marriages, in addition to intensifying public awareness about the adverse impacts of marrying at too young an age.

“We all have to take care of our children because our children belong to the future, not ours,” the governor remarked.

Furthermore, he said that the selection of Manado city as the host of World Children’s Day 2022 is a matter of pride because many children will attend the commemoration event, not only from the country, but also from the ASEAN region.

As of 2:58 p.m. on Friday, the number of children attending the commemoration event was only about 200, but more were expected to come.

“In this celebration, the (number of) children who come from across the country and from overseas are around 400,” Dondokambey said.

On Sunday (November 20, 2022), Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Bintang Puspayoga will attend the World Children’s Day celebration in Manado.

Source: Antara News