A discussion between stakeholders on a child-led research study of 6,875 Indonesian adolescents across 34 provinces revealed alarming rates of hunger, nutrition, stunting, and a deep-rooted connection to child marriage. The data, collected through a detailed questionnaire, highlighted significant gaps in adolescent health knowledge, particularly regarding nutrition and reproductive health. The study also underscored the prevalence of child marriage, often linked to cultural norms and socioeconomic disparities. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions to address both nutrition problems, stunting, and child marriage, focusing on improving access to education, healthcare, and nutrition for adolescents.

Participants:

• WVI’s Child Led Research representatives
• Ministry of Health
• Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection
• National Development Planning Agency
• Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture
• National Food Agency
• Muhammadiyah (Indonesia’s second-largest Muslim organization)
• Child Forum
• Humanitarian Forum Indonesia
• Salvation Army
• Faith-Based Organizations
• Civil society organizations
• UNICEF
• Social media influencers
• Nutrition experts from the winning political party in the general election