Many Challenges in Implementing the Law on Maternal and Child Welfare

Law Number 4 of 2024 concerning the Welfare of Mothers and Children in the First Thousand Days of Life was passed by the DPR (House of Representatives) on July 4, 2024.

The welfare of mothers and children is defined as the fulfillment of the basic rights and needs of mothers and children, encompassing physical, psychological, social, economic, spiritual, and religious aspects. This allows for optimal participation in accordance with their social function in the development of community life.

So, what are the challenges in implementing this law regulating the welfare of mothers and children?

A Kompas Research and Development survey shows that the majority, or 34.6% of respondents, consider a lack of socialization to be the biggest challenge.

"In the case of maternity leave, for example, if mothers or women are unaware of this law or if their companies do not conduct socialization," wrote a Kompas Research and Development researcher in their report on Sunday, December 22, 2024.

The next challenge is the unequal empowerment and involvement of mothers and fathers in childcare.

"Patriarchal attitudes are still prevalent in the Child Protection Law that has been passed," wrote the Kompas Research and Development researcher.

Furthermore, 13% of respondents believe that the Law on the Welfare of Mothers and Children does not include affirmative action for working women, such as being able to return to work without career setbacks.

Meanwhile, 9.1% of respondents stated that this law only focuses on formal sector workers, potentially widening the gap between formal and informal female workers. Protection from violence is a challenge for 0.4% of respondents.

Kompas Research and Development also found that only 37.8% of respondents agreed that the Law on the Welfare of Mothers and Children is sufficient to guarantee the welfare of mothers in Indonesia. 55.5% of respondents stated the opposite.

This survey involved 625 respondents from 38 provinces, randomly selected from the Kompas Research and Development panel, in proportion to the population of each province.

Data collection was conducted from December 2-5, 2024, through telephone interviews. The survey's margin of error is approximately 3.92%, with a 95% confidence level, under conditions of simple random sampling.