The representation of indigenous children in policies in Indonesia

Abstract

According to the Indonesian Child Protection Law, Number 35/2014, the group of children that should receive special protection are minorities and isolated children; this includes Indigenous children who mostly live in remote areas. Under this law, Indigenous children gain special protection, including facilities to share their cultural practices, practice their beliefs, and use their language. This article aimed to describe how Indigenous children have been represented in selected policies in Indonesia. The first step of a policy analysis approach known as “What's the problem represented to be” (WPR), introduced by Carol Bacchi in her book “Analysing policy: What's the problem represented to be?” in 2009, was applied to examine how Indigenous children in Indonesia are represented in six significant policies. Findings from the analysis indicate that the government of Indonesia acknowledges Indigenous rights. However, the policies describe Indigenous children as vulnerable and linked to social welfare problems. Social work core values state that respect for the dignity and worth of all human beings, promotion of welfare or well-being, and social justice should be extended to Indigenous children. To promote well-being, it is argued that social workers must be given more opportunities to be involved in policymaking and advocacy for implementing Indigenous children's policies in Indonesia.