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Equal parenting key to reducing stunted growth, says official
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Breastfeeding may help prevent stunting in infants. (Shutterstock/-)
Unequal parenting and lack of knowledge from parents are among the major causes of stunting in Indonesia, an official has said.
An official with the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry, Lenny N. Rosalin, said unequal parenting had made mothers the sole person responsible for their child’s nutritional intake.
According to Lenny, one out every three Indonesian infants aged 0 to 2 years old was stunted. Adults who suffered from stunted growth are likely to get lower incomes in the future compared to those who had optimal growth. Stunting also causes Rp 300 billion (US$21 million) in state losses annually, she said.
In an effort to address the issue, the ministry launched a pilot project aiming to boost the role of fathers. The ministry has chosen Malang, East Java, as the first city to develop the project. Part of the initiative is establishing training for counselors as well as producing digital and printed modules on stunting. The ministry is collaborating with the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Indonesia to run the project.
“We chose Malang because this city was recognized for its achievement in reducing malnutrition in 2017,” she said in Malang on Thursday.
MCA Indonesia director for social and gender inclusion Dwi Rahayu Yuliawati Faiz said the project encouraged fathers to play a bigger role starting from pregnancy, considering the gender-based role division within Indonesian society. (swd)
