Kenali Kom Tubuh! (Know Your Body!)
Indonesia | 6 Generations | 2023
Selamat Siang!
We are 6 Generations, a group of brave young girls who are advocating for women’s sexual reproductive health rights (Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights) in West Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.
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15 - 19 years old
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The Right-Sized Problem
Sexual violence against women and children is a major concern in our region. And with the lack of exposure and knowledge about Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, it seems like this problem won’t be going away easily.
What did we do?
We put on our brave girl pants and put up exhibits to advance our advocacy. “Kenali Kom Tubuh!”, is an educational exhibition that we held in four different locations around Waikabubak. People in our town were treated to art installations, public events and engaging activities to raise awareness about Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights. Our campaign materials were designed with the Sumba context in mind, and we spread the word about our campaign on Instagram and Facebook.
One of the biggest things we did was a photo exhibit, that showed which areas are highly prone to sexual violence: abandoned parks, quiet and dark streets, public toilets in schools, public transportation and stadiums. Besides the pictures, visitors were able to see Benar-Selah (True or False) banners, displaying scientific facts that debunked false information on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights. Our young participants also played a special version of Snakes and Ladders, where they had to answer Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights questions correctly in order to win fun prizes!
Other notable activities included creating and playing a specially-made campaign jingle on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights. We also got to host a talk show that featured a lecturer from Nursery Academy of Waikabubak who talked about Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, and Save the Children staff who focused on child protection.
Campaign Impact
Through our activities, we saw a behavioral change in our fellow young participants! Talking about their bodies and answering questions about Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights was exciting for them–not at all awkward or shameful. They learned about their rights and sexual violence, and how they can take care and protect their own body.
Our campaign certainly made the waves as local news outlets wrote articles about it. We even had Marcel Chandrawinata, a famous public figure who stars in a number of popular soap operas, join us to raise awareness on sexual health and amplify children’s voices. Our campaign jingle was a hit among students and teachers, with many memorizing the lyrics that were all about preventing sexual violence.
Our youth volunteers also benefited from the capacity building activities we conducted prior to the campaign launch. Not only were they enriched with more knowledge about Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, but they gained confidence to speak up in front of their peers.
Impact in Numbers
597 people participated in the campaign
124 children wrote pledges
3 points of advocacy raised to the West Sumba government board
Words from 6 Generations
“KNOW YOUR BODY! CAMPAIGN IS A VERY NEW EVENT HERE IN WEST SUMBA. FROM THE CAMPAIGN, I GET TO KNOW ABOUT MY BODY RIGHTS, AND ALSO HOW TO TAKE CARE OF MY REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND TO PROTECT MYSELF FROM SEXUAL VIOLENCE.”
Claudia
