South Jakarta Boosts Lactation Rooms and Disability Facilities to Advance Gender Equality

The South Jakarta City Administration is encouraging improvements to lactation room services and disability-friendly facilities for women in order to realise gender equality. “We still have homework to do. There are still lactation rooms that have been repurposed, disability-friendly facilities that are not yet optimal, and service innovations that remain limited,” said Rizky Hamid, Head of the South Jakarta Sub-department for Empowerment, Child Protection, and Population Control, during a gender equality and mainstreaming socialisation event themed “South Jakarta United: Serving with Heart, Realising Equality for All” in Jakarta on Friday. He assessed that gender equality is not merely a women’s issue, but a way to ensure every citizen receives public services that are fair, easily accessible, and of high quality. One manifestation of this is through strengthening the role of the Child-Friendly Integrated Public Spaces as areas that support the needs of women, children, and families within the community. Therefore, he stressed that mainstreaming gender-responsive services is not solely the task of the Sub-department for Empowerment, Child Protection, and Population Control, but is also the responsibility of all regional apparatuses. “Every policy, programme, budget, and service must comprehensively address the needs of the community, including women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups,” Rizky said. “Gender mainstreaming must not stop at being just socialisation material. It must be visible in services, felt by the community, and become our working culture,” Rizky added. Meanwhile, Assistant for Administration and People’s Welfare at the South Jakarta City Secretariat, Tomy Fudihartono, expressed hope that the socialisation would broaden participants’ insights and knowledge regarding gender equality. “This time, the theme we have adopted is South Jakarta united, serving with heart, realising equality for all. This activity is expected to become our working culture as well as a culture of providing services to all residents of South Jakarta,” Tomy stated.