Minister Gathers Fathers in Yogyakarta to Promote 'Fathers Must Be Present' Campaign

Minister of Population and Family Development and Head of the National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN) Wihaji gathered fathers for an event titled ‘Ngobrol Perkara GATI/Gerakan Ayah Teladan Indonesia (Ngopi) Lintas Tiga Generasi di Angkringan bersama Pak Wihaji’ at Yogyakarta City Hall Plaza on Friday afternoon. “This is part of the series of activities for the 2026 National Family Day, where the theme we are raising is ‘Fathers Must Be Present’,” the Minister said after the event, which was attended by hundreds of fathers. He noted that Yogyakarta serves as a good example for the ‘Fathers Must Be Present’ campaign, including through the ‘Gerakan Ayah Mengambil Rapor’ (Gemar) programme at a senior high school in the city, which he also attended. “Yogyakarta is a model city for family development, because comprehensively, its life expectancy is quite high, averaging over 75 years, the highest in Yogyakarta, and its Human Development Index is also high,” he said. However, Wihaji cautioned that data shows around 25 per cent of children experience ‘fatherlessness’, underscoring the importance of reinforcing programmes such as the movement for fathers to collect school report cards. He stated that the government is concerned and attentive to child protection in order to create a future generation, and in line with the President’s directives, his ministry has been asked to go into the field to manage family development. “That is why we gathered the fathers here, as part of a joint effort to build families, because their children will one day replace us,” he said. The Minister also urged fathers not to grow weary or tired of campaigning about the importance of the next generation, as children are the successors who will replace today’s parents.