South Sumatra BKKBN Tackles 'Fatherless' Phenomenon Through School Report Initiative

Palembang (ANTARA) - The South Sumatra Provincial Representative of the National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN) is tackling the ‘fatherless’ phenomenon through the ‘Gemar’ programme, which stands for ‘Gerakan Ayah Mengambil Rapor Sekolah’ (Movement of Fathers Collecting School Report Cards).

The Head of the BKKBN South Sumatra Representative, Arios Saplis, stated in Palembang on Friday that this step is a concrete commitment to reducing the ‘fatherless’ phenomenon, or the lack of involvement of father figures in child-rearing in Indonesia.

He explained that Indonesia is currently facing serious challenges regarding the ‘fatherless’ phenomenon. Citing 2021 UNICEF data presented by the Minister of Population and Family Development/Head of BKKBN, approximately 20.9 per cent of children in Indonesia grow up without the active role of a father.

According to him, this condition is triggered by various factors, such as divorce, death, and work demands that create a distance between fathers and their families. If left unaddressed, the lack of a father figure has the potential to affect a child’s emotional, social, and cognitive development.

Therefore, he continued, the Gemar movement is not merely a ceremonial activity of collecting report cards at school, but rather a simultaneous movement to boost the quality of parenting within the family.

“We hope that the ‘Father Taking Report Cards’ movement can become a positive culture applied widely, particularly in South Sumatra, to realise a resilient and characterised Golden Indonesia generation,” he said.