Semarang (malangkota.go.id) – In a series of events for the National Children's Forum (FAN) and the 2023 National Children's Day (HAN) Commemoration in Semarang, Central Java on July 20-23, 2023, Malang City made two proud achievements at the award event held by the Indonesian Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (Kemen PPPA).
First, Malang City has maintained its Child-Friendly City (KLA) predicate for three consecutive times in the Nindya Category at the 2023 Child-Friendly Regency/City (KLA) Award, as well as the 2023 Data Forum Anak (DAFA) Award in the Best Website Category, which was won by the Malang City Children's Forum.
The Ministry of PPPA of the Republic of Indonesia awarded the 2023 DAFA Award to 19 categories and two appreciations for the Achieving Children's Forum. Meanwhile, for the 2023 KLA Award, the Ministry of PPPA awarded it to 360 Regencies/Cities consisting of 19 Main Categories, 76 Nindya Categories, 130 Madya Categories, and 135 Pratama Categories. In addition, there is the Child-Friendly Province Award (PROVILA) which was also given to 14 Provinces that have made great efforts to mobilize regencies/cities in their regions in realizing KLA.
Minister of PPPA, Bintang Puspayoga in his speech said, the 2023 KLA Award showed a sharp increase in each category from the previous year. This reflects the commitment and seriousness of regional leaders and other stakeholders to ensure the fulfillment of children's rights and special protection in their respective regions.
"This Child-Friendly Regency/City Award is a form of our appreciation for all the commitment and seriousness of the Governors, Regents, Mayors, and their staff who have seriously tried to present their areas as safe for children. The constitutional mandate also requires the State to fulfill all children's rights, protect children, and respect children's views as stated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child which has been ratified through other laws and regulations," said the Minister of PPPA in Semarang, Friday (22/7/2023).
Minister Bintang hopes that the 2023 KLA Award can be a motivating whip for regions to work harder in protecting children's groups and ensuring the fulfillment of their rights. Moreover, the KLA award feels even more special amidst the strong desire to realize the fulfillment of children's rights and special protection carried out in a planned, comprehensive, and sustainable manner by various parties who are working hard to realize the ideals towards KLA and Child-Friendly Indonesia (IDOLA) 2030 and Golden Indonesia 2045.
Meanwhile, for the 2023 DAFA Award, the Minister of PPPA said that it is a form of appreciation for the Children's Forum which is active, creative, and innovative in carrying out its role as 2P (Pioneer and Reporter) to ensure the fulfillment of children's rights and special protection as well as children's involvement in the development planning process.
"The DAFA Award is expected to motivate all National and Regional Children's Forums to continue to play an active, creative, and innovative role in their role as 2P. Through the DAFA Award, it also shows the importance of data so that every Children's Forum, at the provincial, district/city, sub-district, and village/sub-district levels, is increasingly active in conducting data collection not only to pursue awards, but as a form of responsibility for the work programs carried out," explained the Minister of PPPA.
On this occasion, Minister Bintang Puspayoga also expressed his pride in the National Children's Forum and the Regional Children's Forum. "You are great and extraordinary children," said the Minister of PPPA RI.
For the Malang City Children's Forum, achieving an achievement at the 2023 DAFA Award in the Best Website category is the first time after eliminating the Badung Regency Children's Forum, Bali Province and the East Java Province Children's Forum. Of course, this is a source of pride because it competes with Children's Forum websites throughout Indonesia.
Representatives of the Malang City Children's Forum, Naura Athaya and Rara Izzah, who represented Malang City in the FAN 2023 series, expressed their joy and pride for the award won by the Malang City Children's Forum at the 2023 DAFA Awards.
"Thank you to Bunda Bintang and all parties involved in the 2023 DAFA Awards. This award will be a trigger and motivator for us to play an active role in planning development and child protection. Hopefully in the future we will continue to be enthusiastic and get the widest possible opportunities in terms of child rights participation. We dedicate this award to the Malang City Children's Forum and all children in East Java," he said happily.
Separately, the Mayor of Malang, Drs. H. Sutiaji, expressed his appreciation and congratulated the two achievements in the series of the National Children's Forum (FAN) and the 2023 National Children's Day (HAN) Commemoration.
Malang Mayor Sutiaji emphasized that this achievement is the result of the government's commitment to continue to fulfill children's rights in various fields in order to realize a child-friendly Malang City.
The bespectacled man said that this achievement is a form of commitment and seriousness of the Malang City Government in realizing development that is responsive to the rights, needs, and interests of children.
"We invite the children's forum and all child-friendly task forces to continue to improve the performance of each KLA indicator so that Malang City will soon meet the Main KLA standards. Among the gratitude, of course there is hope that the entire team will work harder to ensure that Malang City is increasingly suitable for children. The essence is there, not the award," said Sutiaji.
