Time for Concrete Action on Gender Equality and Women's Protection
JAKARTA — International Women’s Day commemorations serve as an important reminder that strengthening gender equality is a critical foundation for creating a healthier, fairer, and more inclusive society.
Cross-sector dialogue and collaboration have become increasingly vital to ensure that women’s rights are genuinely realised through concrete action.
This effort aligns with the United Nations’ global theme for 2026, “Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls,” which emphasises that investment in women must be accompanied by rights protection and justice enforcement.
The Minister for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, Arifah Fauzi, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring women and girls receive protection and equality. She made these remarks at an International Women’s Day commemoration event organised by Farid Nila Moeloek (FNM) Society in collaboration with PT Takeda Innovative Medicines in Jakarta on 10 March 2026.
According to Arifah, advancement for women must begin with the fulfilment of basic rights, continue with justice enforcement, and be realised through concrete action in policy and sustainable development programmes.
“Gender equality means that women and men have equal rights, opportunities, access, participation, and control over resources and development benefits,” she stated.
Siti Hediati Soeharto, Chairperson of Commission IV of the House of Representatives, said that fulfilment of women’s rights and child protection must be realised through measurable and impactful actions. For this reason, women’s leadership is not merely a symbol of representation.
“Investment in women is not merely a moral obligation, but the most rational and most sustainable development strategy,” she noted.
Women play a strategic role in promoting healthy living practices within families and communities, including in matters of reproductive health and maternal and child health.
Through Global Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes, support is being extended to various initiatives aimed at strengthening women’s health and protection, including partnerships with Ipas to improve access to women-centred reproductive health services, and with UNFPA through the PIHAK programme to strengthen responses to gender-based violence in Indonesia.