The Center for Indonesian Medical Students’ Activities (CIMSA) Faculty of Medicine, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, invited the IPAS Indonesia Foundation to promote reproductive health for junior high school students, parents, and teachers. This activity, titled AKSARA (Let’s Discuss Reproductive Health with SCORA), was held at Ruhama Islamic Junior High School, Tangerang City, Banten, on Saturday, September 14, 2024. SCORA, or Sexual & Reproductive Health and Rights Including HIV & AIDS, is a division of CIMSA that focuses on reproductive health and rights issues.
Naila Muthia Resmala, Local Officer on Sexual & Project Officer Reproductive Health Rights including HIV & AIDS, stated that AKSARA is an annual program. This activity aims to enhance community understanding regarding reproductive health.
“AKSARA is held annually with the hope that communities become more aware of reproductive health issues. This year, AKSARA addresses the themes of puberty and exploitation, as these issues are currently prevalent in society,” said Naila.
During the activity, Dewi Suhaid, Health System Strengthening Field Officer at IPAS Indonesia Foundation, served as a speaker on the topic of puberty for adolescents. This session was divided into two groups: boys’ and girls’ classes. In this session, Dewi shared materials related to the characteristics of puberty and how, as young individuals, students can adapt to this process.
“The experience was exciting; I conducted a reproductive health class. The class was interactive, the students were active, and the questions were outstanding. They were very enthusiastic,” said Dewi.
One female student from grade 9 stated that this activity was very beneficial as it expanded their knowledge regarding reproductive health. “Especially since I am part of the Youth Red Cross (PMR), it is very useful. Because I believe it is important for us adolescents today to know more about our own reproductive health and be more aware,” she said.
Additionally, Jaclyn Kaunang, Community Access and Mobilization Specialist at IPAS Indonesia Foundation, also shared insights in a class on how parents and teachers can support adolescents during puberty. In that session, she discussed the vulnerability of adolescents to cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. She also provided best practices on how to ensure a safe environment for adolescents, both at school and at home.
“This is crucial for adolescents during puberty as they require support from their environment, including family and school. Adolescents are increasingly vulnerable to violence, which underscores the importance of this session. The enthusiasm from parents and teachers, evidenced by their questions, was gratifying. Furthermore, the school has already developed a follow-up plan regarding the sexual violence response team at the school,” added Jaclyn.
This activity received positive responses from both the school and the parents. Mr. Suedih Ahmad, Vice Principal for Student Affairs at SMP Islam Ruhama, stated that he hopes the AKSARA team can assist the school in forming a task force for handling sexual violence.
“I am certainly very glad to have participated in this event because I learned a lot about reproductive health and violence. This is quite helpful for parents to become more aware of our children,” expressed one parent.
According to data from SIMFONI, the violence reporting website of the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, a total of 6,407 children in Indonesia were reported as victims of violence in 2023. Among educational categories, junior high school students were the most frequent victims.