Jakarta, IO – Indonesia has made steady progress in fulfilling children’s rights, including civil rights, family-based care, health and nutrition, basic education and child protection. Despite improvements in national child protection indicators, many challenges persist, and addressing them will require sustained commitment and stronger collaboration.
According to the 2025 Indonesia Child Profile published by the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA), 29.8 million children in Indonesia have been suffering learning loss, while the national stunting rate stands at 19.8 percent. The 4,727 natural disasters recorded throughout 2025 also heightened children’s vulnerability to various risks. During the same year, the Women’s and Children’s Protection Information System (SIMFONI-PPA) recorded more than 15,300 cases of child sexual abuse and 12,160 cases of physical violence. Around 60.1 percent of these cases occurred at home, a place that should be the safest environment for children.
Over the past five decades since 1976, Save the Children Indonesia has worked across sectors to promote children’s rights through programs in health and nutrition, basic education, child protection, resilience-building and disaster preparedness and response. These efforts have also been reinforced through policy advocacy, resource mobilization and practical initiatives aimed at strengthening Indonesia’s child protection system.
Among its key contributions are support for shifting child care toward family-based care through Social Affairs Minister Regulation No. 30/HUK/2011 on National Standards for Child Care in Child Social Welfare Institutions (LKSA), Government Regulation No. 44/2017 on Child Care Implementation, strengthening of child participation through the Children and Youth Advisory Network (CYAN), which covers both climate change and digital child protection, and regional policies that strengthen children’s rights, including the integration of Community-Based Integrated Child Protection (PATBM) into Village Resilience Institutions (LKD). In addition, its Stop Pneumonia campaign from 2019 to 2022 helped generate public demand that encouraged the Health Ministry to include the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) in the national childhood immunization program. The policy is expected to save 10,000 children under the age of five from pneumonia-related deaths.
“For the past 50 years, Save the Children Indonesia has learned that the most meaningful change never comes from one entity, but through collaboration. Our achievements demonstrate that real progress for children is possible when everyone works together. At the same time, this journey reminds us that many challenges still lie ahead. That is why our commitment to children must not stop at words, but must be translated into stronger collaboration and concrete, sustainable action,” said Save the Children Indonesia CEO Dessy Kurwiany Ukar.
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That commitment will continue through the Children’s Heroes Festival (Festival Pahlawan Anak), which will take place from Aug. 13 to 16, at the Gandaria City mall, Jakarta. More than a celebration, the festival is designed as a collaborative movement that encourages the public to help create safe, inclusive and supportive environments for every child through dialogue, learning and interactive experiences.
The festival is supported by organizations and individuals committed to advancing children’s rights in Indonesia. Save the Children Indonesia expressed its appreciation to the Jakarta Provincial Government for its full support of the event, Pakuwon Group for providing the venue, Narasi as media partner, and Save the Children Indonesia supporters Maudy Ayunda and Najwa Shihab, together with Festival Advisors Daniel Rembeth, Dewi Soeharto, Angga Sasongko, Dini Ardi, Gupta Sitorus, Herry Budiazhari Salim, Loemongga Haoemasan, Primo Rizky and Tom Tandio, as well as all partners who have contributed to making the festival possible.
The 50th anniversary of Save the Children Indonesia marks not only a reflection on its journey over the past five decades, but also a renewed commitment to strengthening collective efforts to advance children’s rights in Indonesia. By expanding collaboration, including through the Children’s Heroes Festival, Save the Children Indonesia is inviting more stakeholders to help build an ecosystem that truly puts the best interests of every child first. (des)
