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Yayasan Gemilang Sehat Indonesia (YGSI) – an Indonesian foundation focussing on SRHR and SGBV prevention for young people – is thrilled to announce its launch. This exciting development stems from the demerger of Rutgers Indonesia and Rutgers Netherlands, both champions for sexual and reproductive health and rights. The move empowers both organisations to chart their individual future courses, laying the groundwork for a partnership that yields outcomes greater than the combined strengths of two individual Rutgers entities.
The launch marks the beginning of an exhilarating new phase. “We are excited to start this new chapter in our journey to champion sexual and reproductive health and rights and preventing sexual and gender-based violence in Indonesia and the region. The transition will enable us to be even more effective in our efforts.” Ely Sawitri, Director of YGSI.
With a shared history of almost 25 years, the time has come to adapt our collaboration for increased autonomy and foster growth. Ely and Marieke van der Plas, Executive Director at Rutgers, shared: “We want to move forward with the deep foundation of trust between our two organisations. Our focus is on cultivating new opportunities and utilising our combined expertise to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.”
We have achieved remarkable milestones that stand as a testament to our unwavering commitment to sexual and reproductive health and rights. A pivotal achievement has been that the Indonesian government has begun to recognise the crucial importance of comprehensive sexuality education in their education curriculum.
“In Indonesia, a significant initial step in this direction involves the nationwide training of teachers on Reproductive and Sexual Health Education.The objective is to empower these educators to serve as champions in their respective regions and schools. This strategic initiative aims to enhance the understanding and delivery of comprehensive sexuality education, fostering a supportive and informed environment for students throughout the country.” Ely added.
Our rigorous research and meticulous data gathering has set the standard for shaping evidence-based policies and interventions in SRHR. “Rutgers Netherlands, also, applied lessons from Indonesia to enhance quality, effectiveness, and scalability, with a specific focus on innovating in sexuality education and combating gender-based violence,” added Marieke.
Our partnership has not only been about pursuing shared objectives. It has also been about nurturing strong relationships in Indonesian civil society and with different levels of government bodies. “By engaging with them closely, we have gained invaluable insights into their unique needs, enabling us to tailor our programmes to effectively address their specific requirements. We will continue this approach to drive meaningful change in our country,” emphasised Ely.
“While the organisational ties are set to undergo transformation, our steadfast dedication and commitment to sexual and reproductive health and rights and preventing sexual and gender-based violence is unwavering. We will continue to work together in our current programmes and look forward to more collaborative achievements going forward,” concluded Marieke and Ely.
The launch event of the new Yayasan Gemilang Sehat Indonesia will take place at the end of April 2024 in Jakarta.
