On PIRA's 18th Anniversary, Novita Wijayanti Urges Women Not to Fear Early Cancer Detection

Perempuan Indonesia Raya (PIRA) has reaffirmed its commitment to improving women’s health quality through cancer prevention socialisation and free Pap smear examinations.

The event was held to commemorate the 18th anniversary of PIRA, carrying the theme ‘Healthy Women, Strong Families, Great Indonesia’.

The General Chairperson of PIRA, Novita Wijayanti, stated that the 18-year journey serves as a momentum to strengthen the commitment to women’s empowerment, including in health aspects.

“PIRA’s 18-year journey is tangible proof of a consistent and sustainable commitment to fighting for the rights, welfare, and quality of life of Indonesian women,” Novita said in a written statement on Saturday (3/10/2026).

Novita noted that women play a vital role in building family resilience as they are primary pillars of family life and children’s education. Consequently, she added, women’s health is closely linked to a family’s ability to carry out various roles and responsibilities.

“Women are the pillars of the family, the first school for children, and the main supporters of family resilience,” said the legislator from the Gerindra Party faction.

During the event, Novita also highlighted the importance of education and early detection for cervical and breast cancer. She emphasised that regular examinations are necessary so that risks or indications of disease can be identified early.

“We know that prevention is far better than cure. Cervical cancer, for example, can be prevented and treated effectively if detected early through routine examinations such as Pap smears,” said Novita.

Novita expressed hope that the activity would not stop at health screenings but would also increase women’s awareness of maintaining health sustainably. “I hope this spirit of maintaining health does not end in this room, but is passed on to families, neighbours, and our surrounding environment,” she said.

At the end of her speech, Novita once again sent a message to all women not to delay examinations and to start treating health as a form of self-love and care for their families. “Never hesitate or delay loving yourself. Maintaining health is our greatest form of responsibility and affection for our husbands, children, and families,” said Novita.

The importance of education and health screenings was also conveyed by Afina Putri Indriani, a speaker from the Indonesian Cancer Watch Foundation (YPKI). According to Afina, understanding cervical and breast cancer needs to be continuously strengthened so that women have the awareness to perform prevention and early detection.

“Education about cancer, particularly cervical and breast cancer, is very important because prevention and early detection can be the first step in saving more women. Through this activity, we want to encourage the community not to be afraid of undergoing regular health checks,” said Afiana.

Afina hoped that the socialisation and free Pap smear examinations organised by PIRA would not be a one-off event. She encouraged reproductive health awareness to become a habit for women in maintaining their health.

“We hope this socialisation and free Pap smear examination does not end with today’s activity. The awareness to maintain reproductive health needs to become part of women’s lifestyle, so that various disease risks can be identified and handled as early as possible,” said Afina.

According to Afina, health examinations should not be viewed as something frightening. On the contrary, knowing one’s health condition early can provide the opportunity for appropriate treatment if problems are found.

“By knowing the health condition from the start, we have a greater chance of receiving the right treatment. Therefore, we invite women to be more concerned about their own health,” said Afina.

Support for the activity was also expressed by the Advisor of PIRA, Rani D. Sutrisno. She hoped that positive activities that directly touch the needs of the community could continue consistently under Novita’s leadership.

“Under the leadership of Mrs. Novita Wijayanti, I hope positive activities like this can continue to be carried out consistently. May PIRA become stronger, more united, and always present in the midst of society to provide real benefits and contributions,” said Rani.

For information, based on collected data, approximately 36,000 Indonesian women have been diagnosed with cervical disease, and about 21,000 of them have passed away. This means that nearly three out of five women affected by cervical cancer lose their lives.

Meanwhile, breast cancer ranks first as the most common type of cancer and one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in Indonesia. According to data from the Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), there are approximately 65,000 to 68,000 new cases of breast cancer every year in Indonesia.

As many as 70% of patients are detected and arrive at health facilities already in the advanced stage (late stage). The death rate due to breast cancer in Indonesia is recorded to reach more than 22,000 lives per year.