REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Head of the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) Hasto Wardoyo says women's empowerment is key to tackling extreme poverty.

“My experience as Regent in Kulon Progo, an extremely poor area always tinged with old widows and poor paupers. So extreme poverty comes from unproductive widows, so women's empowerment becomes a vision for the future so that women entering the aging population are productive,” she said in Jakarta, Tuesday (14/5/2024).

Hasto delivered this in the Technical Coordination Meeting (Rakornis) of BKKBN Partnership and Kick-Off Bakti TNI TNI Manunggal Proud Kencana Kesehatan in 2024. She insists gender mainstreaming is very meaningful for development. “The meaning of gender mainstreaming is very important, women-based development is very meaningful for us,” she said.

He also stressed the importance of lowering maternal mortality (AKI) if he wants to achieve Indonesia Gold by 2045. “Indonesia Gold must be free from hunger and stunting, and don't forget maternal mortality and infant mortality. Maternal mortality of 70 is the highest of the target in 2023, but today the maternal mortality rate is still 189 per 100,000 mothers giving birth,” he said.

She also said that at present Indonesia has successfully lowered the total birth rate or Total Fertility Rate (TFR) by 2.18, where the average woman currently gives birth to two children. But what is still homework is that the figure has not been evenly distributed across the province.

“The average woman gives birth to two children, because many people who are older are slightly older, so fertility is short, but this is not evenly distributed. In Java it has been good, but those in Sumatra are still more than two on average, NTT, Maluku, are also still many,” he said.

He also confirmed the percentage of mating at a young age nationally was already declining. “Today only 19-20 out of every 1,000 people are mating at a young age,” he said.

Hasto also reminded women to avoid four too many (4T) — getting married too young, too old pregnant, too close a pregnancy distance, and giving birth too often. According to him, women who become pregnant over the age of 35 are more vulnerable to health risks and potentially give birth to stunting babies.

“BKKBN does have a marriage age maturation program, but also do not be too mature, because being single for too long is a danger too, so get married at the age of 25-35 so that the child is not born stunting,” he said.

Hasto also posits a strategy of optimizing demographic bonuses heavily dependent on the younger generation. “When adolescents do not drop out of school, are not unemployed, do not get pregnant at a young age and maternal or baby mortality is low, then we will reap that demographic bonus,” said Hasto Wardoyo.

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