Lawang Kuari Child Forum Communicate Children Voice to The Local Government

Lawang Kuari Child Forum (FALARI) of Sekadau Regency communicate the result of Child Forum Consultation about Sekadau as a Child-Friendly Regency indicator to the local government of Sekadau (Bappeda Litbang and Dinsos PPPA Sekadau) on Monday, January 14, 2019.

“We hope the government can make rules about children marriage immediately because there are so many children in the villages who have marriage in the children ages,” says Antony (17 yo) as one of a child forum member in the presentation.

In the same event, Kristina (16 yo) as a child president also says her opinion.

“We found cigarettes advertisement in front of the school. We hope the school's environment is free from that and can be changed with another advertisement,” she claims.

The children's voice was compiled in the Regional Children Forum Consultation activity in December 2018 to provide input to the government and was a manifestation of children's participation in the development of Child-Friendly Districts. The activity was carried out by the Civil Society Organizational Empowerment Project funded by the European Union through Wahana Visi Indonesia.

Responding to the submission of the child forum members, Mirza S. as the Head of the Sosbud Bappeda Research and Development Department states "I appreciate the younger siblings who have thought of reaching the sub-districts and villages. We will continue this valuable input to the relevant technical office. And we are sure that in the future in preparing the Regional Action Plan, we will involve representatives from FAD."

By doing this activity, the government committed to involving the children in the area plan meeting. In the future, children participation can be higher by doing the Development Planning Forum in the villages, districts, and regency.

Written by: Jesicca Chlaudia, Advocacy Coordinator of CSO Empowerment Project Area Program Sekadau Wahana Visi Indonesia