Commemorating International Youth Day, Youth in Central Java Advocate for Safe Spaces Free from Violence

“Let’s dare to speak up, believe that you will find a safe space, and make your voice heard!” This was the message conveyed by Asyifa Azdkiah Haqiqi, committee member of the event “We Speak Up Because We Matter: Empowered Youth Free from Violence.” This activity was held to commemorate International Youth Day, which falls on August 12.

This event, held at the Joint Secretariat Building in Surakarta City, Central Java, on August 2, 2025, was managed by Health Rangers – an initiative to encourage youth in Central Java to better understand violence, including its prevention and access to services.

Data from the 2024 National Survey on Children and Adolescents’ Life Experiences shows that 10.58% of males and 11.43% of females aged 18-24 experienced one or more forms of sexual violence before the age of 18. Based on these findings, adolescents play a crucial role in the prevention and handling of violence, from understanding violence, reporting and providing support, accessing services, to creating safe spaces in their communities.

Asyifa explained that the theme “We Speak Up Because We Matter” was chosen to encourage youth to understand how they can have safe spaces. “Adolescents are also capable of being empowered and understanding what violence is,” she asserted.

This activity was packaged as a discussion involving at least 100 young people from various communities. Discussion topics included education on violence, including sexual violence, the rights of violence victims, and how victims can report if they experience violence.

One of the discussion participants from the Mojosongo Youth Community in Surakarta City, named Fransisca, stated that she was very enthusiastic about participating in the discussion. “The activity was engaging; by participating, I gained more experience and knowledge, such as new information about reporting [violence victims],” she said.

The “We Speak Up Because We Matter” activity is part of Health Rangers’ efforts to increase public knowledge about violence, especially sexual violence. Previously, 30 young people were trained in a three-day workshop organized by Pilar PKBI Central Java.

Anis Sapitri, Project Officer of Pilar PKBI Central Java, stated that they were pleased because the number of participants exceeded expectations. “There was concern about whether we could reach 75 participants, but over 100 attended, and the Deputy Mayor of Surakarta was also present and provided support, mentioning Health Rangers,” she said.

She hopes that Health Rangers can create more engaging initiatives to reach more young people, so they can learn about violence and collectively create safe spaces.

Health Rangers is part of the ARUNIKA program (Empowered Women for an Indonesia Free from Violence) by the IPAS Indonesia Foundation, supported by the Government of Canada. This program is implemented in Sukoharjo Regency, Semarang Regency, and Surakarta City with the aim of improving access to comprehensive and holistic services for victims of violence.

Reporter: Purwantining Fitri Kawuri