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Mixed progress on RI's Millennium Development Goals: UN
Indonesia has made great strides in meeting some of the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but should focus its efforts on the remaining MDGs, says a senior United Nations official
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ndonesia has made great strides in meeting some of the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but should focus its efforts on the remaining MDGs, says a senior United Nations official.
"Indonesia has made enormous progress," UN under-secretary-general Kiyotaka Akasaka told a press conference at Atma Jaya University on last week.
He said Indonesia had improved primary education, increased gender equality and decreased child mortality rates.
However, the Indonesian government should work harder to achieve the fifth MDG, on maternal health; the sixth MDG, on HIV/AIDS and other public health issues; and the seventh MSG, on environmental stainability, he said
The country has five more years to reach the targets established by the MDGs, he added.
"Indonesia will be able to make it with further effort from the government and the people. I hope that no one is pessimistic about achieving the MDGs in this country," said Akasaka.
Women Solidarity chairwoman Risma Umar said Akasaka's claim that Indonesia has improved gender equality and primary education reflected his urban perspective.
"Maybe what he sees is gender equality in the cities. If that's the case, he's right," she told The Jakarta Post.
"The fact is that there is still gender inequality in villages," she added.
Around two-third of Indonesian women live in rural areas and cannot afford US$1 a day. More than 50 percent of Indonesia's 240 million people are women, she added.
Often, many young women in rural areas could only attend primary school - unlike men, who could study at universities, she said.
Even if villagers could attend high school, they often had to move to cities because of a lack of schools in rural areas, she said.
"Young women are often prevented from going to cities. It may be their families who do not allow them to go to cities, or it may be a question of scholarships that are more frequently given to young men," she said.
National Commission for AIDS chairwoman Nafsiah Mboi said that Indonesia had met an international target of limiting prevalence of sexually-transmitted diseases to 0.5 percent.
"The target and any achievements mean nothing if Indonesian men keep paying for sex, changing sex partners and refusing to wear condoms during intercourse, which is what is going on now," she told the Post.
National Development Planning Minister Armida Alisjahbana earlier said that Indonesia would not reach targets in maternal health, HIV/AIDS control and sustainable forestry initiatives.
"In general, achievement of the goals is on track, but we still have some progress indicators that are deficient," Armida said.
"There is a possibility of failure," he added.
