RI Makes Improvements In Social Protection System: UNICEF

Jakarta, Sept 10 (Antara) - The Indonesian government has made many improvements in building social protection system that is suceptible to children`s special needs, said The United Nations Children`s Fund (UNICEF) representative. UNICEF representative, Angela Kearney, here on Tuesday, mentioned that many government`s programs such as School Operational Assistance (BOS), Scholarships to Poor Students have successfully recorded some developments on quality and access of education services for the poor children. Besides those two government`s programs, Kearney said the Family Ideal Program and the Children Social Welfare Program have made it an increase on social welfare services. The Family Ideal Program that provides cash directly given to the poor made a bridge for an easier way to enjoy services of health and education system. Meanwhile, the Social Welfare Program had empowered the marginalized children, she said. UNICEF was grateful and eager to cooperate with Indonesian government and the country`s institutions to enhance social protection for children, she said. "Our experiences in recent years show that social protection interventions such as cash transfers were very effective to reduce the impact of child poverty, especially if they are designed for the vulnerable children and the poor," she said. Social protection services, Kearney said, is a protection effort to diminish social discrepancy as well as ensure that no child is left behind in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. According to her, the study of poor children has revealed that more than fifty percent of Indonesian poor children live in Java and Bali island. However, the survey has also showed that the provincial poverty rate has recorded the worst, mostly occurred in the country`s eastern province such as East Nusa Tenggara that its poverty rate stood at 36 percent. Kearney also added that children who live in households led by women are more at risk for experiencing extreme poverty than those who live in households led by men. "It is similar with children living in rural areas that could experience more extreme poverty than those who are living in urban areas," she said.