Women with Unwanted Pregnancies Need Special Attention

The Mother and Child Welfare Bill is still in the legislative process in the DPR. Input from the public is very important.

KOMPAS/SONYA HELLEN SINOMBOR

A focused group discussion on the Draft Law on the Welfare of Mothers and Children in the first Thousand Days of Life was held by the Women's Caucus of the Indonesian Parliament in Jakarta on Tuesday (14/5/2024).

Unintended or unwanted pregnancy is often experienced by women. The causes are varied. This can happen to women who are married or unmarried, even due to rape or other reasons.

The situation faced by women with unwanted pregnancies (KTD) needs special attention in the Draft Law on Mother and Child Welfare in the First Thousand Days of Life Phase (KIA Bill in the Thousand HPK Phase).

"The reality on the ground is that unwanted pregnancy cannot be avoided. "In reality, something like that exists," said Crista Adeline from the Genta Life Indonesia Foundation (Pro-Life Indonesia) in a focus group discussion held by the Indonesian Parliamentary Women's Caucus (KPP-RI), in Jakarta, Tuesday (14/5/2024).

Also read: Apart from 6 Months Maternity Leave for Working Mothers, What Else is in the Bill?

Data from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 2022 records that almost half of all pregnancies, which are 121 million pregnancies every year around the world, are unintended.

"In Indonesia, there are almost 8 million pregnancies every year. Studies show that 17.5 to 35 percent of them are unplanned pregnancies. So, almost 3 million of the annual pregnancies are unplanned," said Krista.

For this reason, the regulations in the Draft Law on Marriage Age (RUU KIA) need to take a deeper look at the specific vulnerabilities faced by mothers in child marriage situations, especially those faced by teenage girls aged 13-18. Until now, a number of school-age girls have requested dispensation for marriage due to experiencing child marriage.

Physical and psychological assistance

The KIA Bill in the Thousand Days of PKH Phase needs to provide protection for mothers who experience unwanted pregnancies during school age from various forms of discrimination. Charles Wong from the Rumah Tumbuh Harapan Foundation in Bandung, shared his experience of handling a case of unwanted pregnancy in a very young girl, aged only 11 years old.

"Well, how about protecting school-aged mothers with KTD from discrimination? Because in the end, it does happen in the field," said Charles.

Because, even though there is no regulation from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology to expel pregnant students from school, what has been happening is that students who experience KTD (pregnancy outside of marriage) are expelled from school because the school does not want its reputation to be tarnished or the student leaves school voluntarily due to shame.

The situation of girls experiencing teenage pregnancy requires attention from local governments. Because when they undergo pregnancy at a young age, support for these girls is not only related to physical development, but psychological support is also very important.

Psychological assistance such as counseling is very important, especially for women who are rape victims.

"Because, you know, when a girl gets pregnant, she feels ashamed (and) she has to drop out of school. How can we help her, her future is also ruined," said Charles.

Until now, the Rumah Tumbuh Harapan Foundation has provided a place for women who have experienced sexual violence, especially KTD, including for babies who have been aborted, abandoned, and those in the adoption process.

Psychological support such as counseling is crucial, especially for female victims of rape. In some cases, female victims of rape often want to end their lives or terminate their pregnancies.

"When faced with an unwanted pregnancy, many try to hide it as their first response. They don't want to be found out. On average, when they come to us, they are already in a state of depression and we try to support them," said Charles.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Midwife Pita Puspitasari checks the health of a toddler at the Bungur V Integrated Health Post, Gajeboh Village, Kanekes Subdistrict, Leuwidamar District, Lebak Regency, Banten, on Wednesday (27/1/2021). In a month, on average, Midwife Pita provides health services to four pregnant women and 70 children in the Outer Baduy area.

Women are vulnerable

Therefore, the Women's Health Foundation (YKP) proposes that regulations related to women's rights, as regulated in Article 4 of the KIA Bill in the First Thousand Days of HPK, be expanded or added with articles that regulate women in special situations.

"It is necessary to add an article regarding the specific condition experienced by pregnant women with or without partners, such as those experienced by female victims of sexual violence. Women in this group receive protection," said Nanda Dwinta Sari, Director of YKP.

Article 4 paragraph (5) of the Draft Law on Child Protection in the Phase of a Thousand Days regulates the rights of mothers in two specific conditions. Firstly, for mothers who experience health problems, health disorders, and/or postpartum or miscarriage complications. Secondly, in cases where the born child experiences health problems, health disorders, and/or complications.

Women with KTD are just one of the vulnerable groups and special situations that need attention in the KIA Bill during the Thousand HPK Phase, the legislative process of which is currently ongoing in the DPR.

Therefore, it is hoped that the KIA Bill in the Thousand Days of National Priority Program will not only focus on formal female workers, but also look further into the dimensions of issues and dynamics faced by mothers and children throughout Indonesia.

In addition to women with reproductive health issues, children who do not have parents, either mother or father, or both, also need special attention. If necessary, the condition of such children is discussed in a separate article so that the country is present for these children.

KOMPAS/WISNU WIDIANTORO

Medical officer Tuti Handayani from the Sawa Erma Community Health Center examines the condition of Yuvensias Tombitan (2) who weighs 5.8 kilograms during a child and maternal health examination at the Sawa Village Health Post, Sawa Erma District, Asmat Regency, South Papua on Monday (15/1).

The Chairperson of the Presidium of KPP-RI, Diah Pitaloka, and Secretary-General Luluk Nur Hamidah who is also a member of the DPR, welcomed input from civil society organizations related to the KIA Bill during the Thousand Islands Consultation Phase. "These things will be important notes for the DPR and the government," said Diah on Sunday (May 26th, 2024).

Diah strongly supports the idea that women with contraceptive devices need special attention in the KIA Bill during the First Thousand Days of Life phase. Moreover, several studies have found that 3 million out of 8 million pregnancies are unplanned.

"The dimension of women's lives in this law should be viewed broadly. Including housewives who carry out domestic roles and have problems with custody disputes, single parents, those who juggle dual roles, and even women who do not raise children because they work as migrants," said Diah.

Also read: The KIA Bill specifically regulates the role of fathers/husbands

The Special Staff of the Minister of Women Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA), I Gusti Agung Putri Astrid, revealed that the PPPA Ministry welcomes the commitment of the DPR in comprehensively regulating the welfare of mothers and Indonesian children through the KIA Bill in the Thousand-day Phase.

The Ministry of PPPA pays attention to the rights of working mothers, including mothers with disabilities and mothers with special vulnerabilities, such as mothers who are facing legal issues and those who are in correctional facilities, shelters, disaster situations, conflict situations, and victims of violence.

In addition, mothers who are single parents, mothers living with HIV/AIDS or mental disorders, and mothers who live in remote and underdeveloped areas also have rights that must be regulated in the KIA bill in the Thousand Days of HPK phase.

Mothers in special and vulnerable situations should rightfully receive attention in the KIA Bill in the Thousand Days of HPK Phase to ensure that the bill truly accommodates the welfare of mothers and children in various conditions.