PORTALJABAR, DISTRICT. GARUT - The Garut Regional Government together with representatives of disabled people's organizations held discussions with the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (Kemen PPPA) of the Republic of Indonesia and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

This discussion was held to test the draft guidebook for standard operational procedures for preventing exploitation, violence and sexual harassment (PSO PEKS-PS) for PPA/P2TP2A Service Technical Implementation Unit (UPTD) service personnel.

This event took place in the Garut Regency Regional Secretariat Hall, Jalan Pembangunan, Tarogong Kidul District, Garut Regency (25/4/2024).

Secretary of the Garut Regency Population Control, Family Planning, Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (DPPKBPPPA) Service, Rahmat Wibawa, appreciated the steps taken by the Ministry of PPPA and UNFPA in choosing Garut as a trial location for the Disability Inclusion Guidebook for UPTD PPA/P2TP2A Services.

According to him, people with disabilities have the same rights and obligations as citizens, so the presence of this guidebook is very important to improve services to them.

"That's why now the Ministry of PPA is collaborating with UNFPA which is good, creating a guidebook which will later be used as a reference for districts/cities or other regions in UPTD PPA services to the community," said Rahmat.

Rahmat hopes that this guidebook will serve as a guide and provide knowledge on the correct way to provide services to people with disabilities.

"Because so far the assistants have not understood how to serve people with disabilities, so with this guidebook, hopefully, God willing, there will be an idea of what it should be like," he hoped.

Meanwhile, Assistant Deputy (Asdep) for Services for Women Victims of Violence at the Ministry of PPPA of the Republic of Indonesia, Ratih Rachmawati, explained that Garut was chosen as one of the four trial locations for this guidebook because the handling of cases of violence against women and children in Garut was considered quite good.

The aim of this guidebook is to provide clear guidance to UPTD service officers in dealing with people with disabilities who are victims of violence.

He said that the reason for the presence of this guidebook was because he saw that there were still many people with disabilities who experienced violence, but not many service staff understood how to serve people with disabilities.

Apart from that, Ratih also underlined the importance of knowledge about how to serve people with disabilities, especially those who have communication limitations such as speech disabilities. This requires in-depth understanding from service personnel to ensure that people with disabilities receive protection and services that suit their needs.

"We see, for example, that there are people with speech disabilities, who really need a signer, because sometimes they are unable to convey what they have experienced," said Ratih.

In the same place, UNFPA representative, Ria Ulina, said, UNFPA is one of the UN agencies, which works to realize three things, namely that every pregnancy is desired, every birth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled.

Apart from that, added Ria, UNFPA is trying to realize three zeros or three, namely zero maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning, and zero dangerous practices of violence against women and girls. Or three, namely zero maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning, and zero violence and harmful practices against women and girls.

"In the country, this program works on 4 main themes, namely supporting data availability, then preventing all forms of KBG and dangerous practices, handling KBG through strengthening services, and formulating national and regional policies," he added. This program works on four main themes, namely "supporting the availability of data, then preventing all forms of KBG and dangerous practices, handling KBG through strengthening services, and formulating national and regional policies," he added.

Ria explained that the focus of strengthening UPTD services together with the Ministry of PPPA is strengthening the violence management system against women and children, service personnel and social workers under the Social Service. This program also includes interventions in the community to increase community access to UPTD PPA services and improve gender perspectives and violence against women and children in the community. (Diskominfo Garut/Fauziah)