The #GirlsTakeover campaign in Indonesia will return this year to promote online freedom of expression, while also raising awareness about gender-based harassment online.

Held annually on Oct. 11 to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child, #GirlsTakeover: Sehari jadi Pemimpin 2020 (One Day as a Leader) will feature five girls, each from a different Indonesian province. They are Patrichia from Papua, Devie from North Maluku, Phylia from East Nusa Tenggara, Salwa from East Kalimantan and Fayanna from West Java. They were selected out of more than 600 candidates after participating in a series of activities from Sept. 22 to 29, such as webinars, leadership classes and vlog competitions.

 

 

 

 

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Pengumuman peserta #girlstakeover #SehariJadiPemimpin 2020 sudah bisa diakses di website Plan Indonesia! Langsung aja yuk cek di www.plan-international.or.id atau klik link yang ada di bio! ☺️ Terima kasih kepada Sahabat Plan yang turut mengikuti rangkaian kegiatan dan berpartisipasi dengan suarakan pendapatmu melalui karya-karyamu di #SehariJadiPemimpin 2020. Kami memberikan apresiasi terhadap karya, usaha dan semangatmu untuk mengikuti kegiatan ini. Semoga rangkaian kegiatan bersama @glaindonesia Girls Leadership Camp membuka pengetahuan yang lebih luas, dan bisa menjadi bekal untuk teman-teman bisa mewujudkan mimpi mu! #GirlsTakeover #GirlsGetEqual

A post shared by Plan Indonesia (@planindonesia) on Sep 28, 2020 at 6:35am PDT

For five days starting on Oct. 6, they will take over the social media accounts of well-known Indonesian figures, such as journalist and founder of Narasi.tv Najwa Shihab, actor and activist Hannah Al Rashid, social entrepreneur and presidential staffer Angkie Yudistia, House of Representative's Commission I member Muhammad Farhan and Inovator 4.0 Indonesia founder Budiman Sudjatmiko. 

Using the figures’ accounts, participants will spread messages about freedom of expression on the internet.

“The ‘Freedom Online’ theme aims to respond to the high number of children’s online activities during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Nazla Mariza, influencing director of the Plan International Indonesia Foundation. The foundation is an NGO focused on children’s welfare and is the organizer of the campaign. “Their intense online activities will impact the rise of online gender-based violence, which is often experienced by girls.”

Nazla added that serious efforts were needed to address online gender-based harassment because such acts could cause children to feel depressed, lose their confidence, self-isolate, silence themselves and miss out on opportunities to grow.

According to the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan), the incidence of online gender-based violence increased from 65 cases in 2018 to 97 cases in 2019. These incidents included distributing private photos, sexual harassment and physical mockery. Data from Plan International shows that girls are 27 times more likely to experience online harassment than boys.

Nazla said that in addition to regulations, internet users, particularly children, needed effective reporting mechanisms and thorough education.

The Plan International Indonesia Foundation has been operating in in the country since 1969, reaching out to children and girls. Through the #GirlsTakeover campaign, the foundation has allowed more than 20 girls to temporarily replace strategic positions in Indonesia. The campaign was launched in 2016 by Plan International. 

In 2019, The Jakarta Post participated in the campaign along with other institutions. For one day, Manda, a student from Bogor, West Java, took over the Post’s chief editor seat. (wir/wng)