Jakarta Launches Child-Friendly House of Worship

The Jakarta Provincial Government is committed to maintaining Jakarta as a Child-Friendly Province through the launching of the Child-Friendly House of Worship or called RIRA.

RIRA is a supporting factor for Child-Friendly City

RIRA is a house of worship with a holistic service system that guarantees the fulfillment of children's rights, including protecting them from all forms of violence, exploitation, vulnerability, and discrimination based on the principles of children's rights.

Jakarta Women's Empowerment, Family Planning, and Child Protection Agency (PPAPP) Head, Tuty Kusumawati said that the RIRA launching was aimed at optimizing the function of houses of worship which were developed into places for children to gather and carry out positive, innovative, creative and recreational activities.

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It was also to optimize the function of houses of worship as places of learning through various activities to develop children's talents and interests, including children with special needs. It could also be able to carry out efforts to fulfill child rights clusters, including preventing child marriage.

"And also to improve the management of places of worship by being oriented to the best interests of children according to their growth and development without violence and discrimination," she explained, Thursday (11/3).

She continued that strengthening the function of houses of worship requires involvement and cooperation between the government and religious institutions.

Religious institutions are considered part of the community that supports the government in a bid to fulfill children's rights and protect them from all forms of violence, exploitation, vulnerability, and discrimination.

“RIRA is a supporting factor for Child-Friendly City. It involves cross-sectoral in the scope of the implementation of responsive programs and activities for the best interests of children,' she continued.

To socialize it, her agency would facilitate the determination of one mosque in each sub-district to serve as a pilot for the implementation of RIRA.

Then RIRA acceleration strategy included mapping the potential of places of worship; formal, and informal coordination; making action plans such as socialization, advocacy, technical guidance, facilitator training, and network strengthening.

She added it was started by making a Circular for the Mayor or Regent, thus all sub-district heads would coordinate with the District Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI) to select mosques in their respective areas. It would be determined through a Mayor's or Regent's Decree as a Child-Friendly Mosque as implemented in East Jakarta and Central Jakarta.

“Several criteria have been submitted and most importantly the administrators or managers have the will to be appointed as MRA. Regular meetings with DMI and the sub-district head need to be held to understand RIRA, specifically MRA," she closed.