UNAIR NEWS – Roudhotul Esa Maharani’s passion for addressing child abuse, child marriage, and youth employment has led her on an inspiring journey. The UNAIR Sociology student has not only made her voice heard in local forums but has also reached a global stage.
Maharani’s advocacy began in high school, where she was actively involved in the Ponorogo Children’s Forum and the East Java Children’s Forum. She worked to raise awareness about child abuse and child marriage in her community.
During her time with the Ponorogo Children’s Forum, Maharani collaborated with several NGOs, including the Women’s Health Foundation. These partnerships resulted in various initiatives focusing on children and youth issues, such as the Laskar Remaja Bersama Menginspirasi Project, Youth Fun Camp, Youth Inspire, Anti-Violence and Child Marriage Campaign, and entrepreneurship training for young people.
Maharani’s role
In high school, Maharani led the Child-Led Campaign under Save the Children Indonesia and six other major NGOs. She conducted research on the impact of COVID-19 on children and prepared a policy brief for the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI).
Additionally, Maharani served as co-leader for the Children and Advisory Network of Save the Children Indonesia, allowing her to advocate directly to the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection on issues of child abuse and child marriage.
The UNAIR Sociology student also interned with the Skills to Succeed program at Save the Children Indonesia. She helped implement the Youth-led Innovation Lab for Green Entrepreneurship program in East Java and West Java.
“Currently, youth unemployment is prevalent. I want to contribute by sharing knowledge about soft skills and hard skills. For example, public speaking, stress management, decision making, and hard skills like digital marketing training,” Maharani said.
Maharani finds joy in participating in activities involving children and youth. For her, each activity is an opportunity to learn new things, explore new places, and meet people from diverse backgrounds. She is particularly happy when she sees her project participants thriving, building relationships, finding supportive environments, and becoming motivated to achieve a better future.
Global forum
In 2023, Maharani gained significant recognition by being selected as one of 120 young people from 65 countries to join the Youth Advisory group under the World Bank.
This opportunity allowed her to attend the Positive Youth Development Symposium in Washington, D.C., USA, where she developed plans for inclusive youth engagement.
Ultimately, Maharani hopes to draw more public attention to the issues of child abuse, child marriage, and youth employment.
“There needs to be stronger regulations and greater involvement from various parties to prevent child marriage. Youth employment issues also require deep intervention. Additionally, increased funding from various sources will significantly help expand programs to reach more children in Indonesia,” she concluded.
Author: Diana Febrian Dika
Editor: Edwin Fatahuddin Ariyadi Putra
