Kupastuntas.co, Lampung English - The Provincial Government of Lampung through the Office of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) noted that until the end of 2022, tens of thousands of women in Lampung Province had the status of head of the family.

Head of the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Service Fitrianita Damhuri said that the number is spread across 15 City Regencies in Lampung based on data on the Targeting for the Acceleration of Extreme Poverty Elimination (P3KE).

In detail, South Lampung Regency 9,450 people, Central Lampung 12,489 people, North Lampung 5,338, West Lampung 1,989 people, Tulang Bawang 1,923 people, Tanggamus 4,963 people, East Lampung 9,555 people, Way Kanan 3,670 people, Pesawaran 5,012 people.

Then Pringsewu 3,707 people, Mesuji 948 people, Tulang Bawang Barat 2,093 people, Pesisir Barat 893 people, Kota Bandar Lampung 8,121 people, and Kota Metro 1,590 people, bringing a total of 71,741 female heads of households spread across 15 regencies and cities.

"Because our priority is female heads of families who are in the category of 40 percent of the population with the lowest income in the Unified Database of the Ministry of Social Affairs and that is based on the latest data in December 2022," said Fitri when confirmed, Friday 28 July 2023.

Fitri added that several factors cause women to become the head of the family, including the woman being left by her husband because she died or because she was separated (divorced), but there are also those who still have husbands.

"Then those who still have husbands are usually due to limitations so that women also become the backbone of the family to meet family needs so that it is not only women who are left by their husbands but there are other factors as well," he said.

In order to empower female heads of households in Lampung, said Fitri, the Provincial Government of Lampung has a training program in each City District to improve skills and abilities so they are able to work independently.

"Regarding skills so that he can be economically independent, we are working with the Manpower Office, we are also connecting with the Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Office and the Industry and Trade Office to train and empower economically," he explained.

"Our Office of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection also has creative economic attention for women heads of households and every year in each sub-district in Kota District we always hold technical guidance and skills training so as to encourage the welfare of women heads of households in making ends meet," he concluded.

The director of the Lampung Provincial Women's and Children's Rights Watch, Toni Fisher, added that all regional governments in Lampung should have specific programs for women heads of households, especially the Lampung provincial government.

According to him, the Lampung provincial government should be able to support and support the regency government in this matter. Because they are equally felt, the program and budget related to empowering women are not yet significant.

"So far there have been programs only from the Provincial Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Service, but the City Districts have not heard of them," he said.

The seriousness of the Provincial and Municipal Governments is highly anticipated, not only in the jargon in their vision and mission.

"It is important that this seriousness is carried out so that Lampung does not get a negative stigma because the government failed to protect and empower women," he said.

Especially women heads of households, because so far women have been vulnerable to stigma and violence and discrimination.

"So there needs to be seriousness from various parties, starting from the Provincial Government to City Regencies to overcome this problem," he explained.

"Moreover, the Central Government through the National Strategy for women and children also has five priority directions from the President, namely the first directive to strengthen and empower women's economy from a gender perspective," he concluded. (*)

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