Three Teenage Girls Become AstraZeneca Indonesia Leaders for a Day

Jakarta, October 24, 2024 – In commemoration of International Day of the Girl Child on October 11 around the world, AstraZeneca Indonesia in collaboration with Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia) provided an opportunity for three selected young girls from Jakarta to take over the leadership of AstraZeneca Indonesia for a day. This collaboration was carried out through a campaign entitled #GirlsBelongHere as part of the Girls Takeover campaign in Indonesia.

Three female peer educators, Aisyah from North Jakarta, Bia from West Jakarta, and Ariba from South Jakarta have been selected from a pool of 34 participants across 40 schools in Jakarta, which are the locations of the Young Health Program (YHP) Indonesia. The three positions to be taken over are President Director, Head of Human Resources, and Senior Brand Manager of AstraZeneca Indonesia.

Nazla Mariza, Influencing Director of Plan Indonesia, emphasized that Girls Takeover provides an opportunity for girls to voice their opinions, channel activism and build confidence.

“We appreciate AstraZeneca Indonesia’s commitment in promoting girls’ leadership through Girls Takeover #GirlsBelongHere over the past few years. Through this campaign, we are breaking the discrimination of access to health services faced by girls. Furthermore, we also hope that they can be inspired and inspire their peers to become leaders, including in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields, given the underrepresentation of women in senior leadership positions in these fields,” said Nazla.

Esra Erkomay, President Director of AstraZeneca Indonesia, as one of the strategic roles taken over expressed her hope, “At AstraZeneca, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment where every individual feels valued, listened to and respected. Through the Girls Take Over program, we aim to provide opportunities for girls to take over leadership positions in our organization and make a difference. We believe that by encouraging female leadership and empowerment, we can contribute to improving community health. This initiative is not just about providing a platform for girls; it is also about inspiring and nurturing the next generation of leaders who will drive positive change in our society.”

Girls Takeover #GirlsBelongHere 2024 also aims to create learning and career opportunities for girls to help improve their health in the long run. This is in line with Plan Indonesia’s YHP program that encourages young people aged 10-24 to take control of their health, especially in the fight against long-term non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Aisyah, one of the participants of Girls Takeover #GirlsBelongHere 2024, along with two previous finalists, Bia and Ariba, have channeled their activism in the prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and promoting female leadership in the school environment. Aisyah is active in the North Jakarta Genre forum, Bia serves as Chairperson of the Class Representative Assembly (MPK), and Ariba is involved in the Youth Information and Counseling Center (PIK-R).

On this one-day occasion, Aisyah shared her experience in voicing the importance of women’s leadership in the health sector, as part of efforts to equalize access to health facilities.

“This valuable experience is my foundation to become a female leader in the future. I have learned a lot from how to behave in a professional environment, how to think strategically in any situation, and also still hold the value of inclusivity and equality,” explained Aisyah.

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About #GirlsTakeover: 

#GirlsTakeover: A Day to Lead is a global campaign organized simultaneously by Plan International to commemorate International Day of the Girl Child which falls every October 11. Since 2016, Plan International has facilitated more than 650 children to take over around 5,228 strategic positions. Plan Indonesia has also facilitated dozens of children and young women who have taken over five ministerial positions and twenty other high-ranking positions in Indonesia.

This year, #GirlsTakeover is organized by the Young Health Programme, in conjunction with the #GirlsBelongHere campaign. The campaign aims to promote gender equality and meaningful youth participation, especially for non-communicable diseases.

More information about AstraZeneca’s #GirlsBelongHere campaign can be found here:

https://www.younghealthprogrammeyhp.com/young-leaders/girls-belong-here.html

About Young Health Programme AstraZeneca: 

AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme (YHP) is a global disease prevention program that focuses primarily on young people aged 10 to 24 living in vulnerable and under-resourced environments around the world. YHP aims to prevent the most common non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease and mental health disorders.

In partnership with Plan International and UNICEF and informed by research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the program has reached more than 30 countries and 12 million young people with information on behaviors that put them at risk for NCDs. YHP aims to support the creation of protective environments and empower young people to make informed choices about their health. The holistic and integrated program combines community programs, research and advocacy and supports the development of young leaders. YHP is part of AstraZeneca’s sustainability commitment to use our capabilities to make the most meaningful impact where people need it most: health.

Information about Young Health Programme: https://www.younghealthprogrammeyhp.com.

About Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia): 

Plan International has been working in Indonesia since 1969 and officially became Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia) in 2017. We work for the fulfillment of children’s rights and equality for girls. We also work with young people, to ensure meaningful participation in decision-making about their lives.

As part of Plan International Inc, Plan Indonesia has a sponsored children program. Plan Indonesia has nurtured 36,000 girls and boys in East Nusa Tenggara, with five commitments to fulfill their basic rights: birth certificates, basic vaccines, clean water, sanitation and hygiene, and education.

Plan Indonesia works in 8 provinces through seven thematic programs, namely Prevention of Child Growth Failure, Elimination of Violence against Children and Young People, Adolescent Health, Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship, Resilient Schools, Disaster Preparedness and Gender Responsive Humanitarian Response, and Youth-led Climate Resilience.

These programs aim to increase the capacity of leadership, agencies, and social movements that engage and target 3 million girls for equal power, equal freedom, and equal representation.

More information: plan-international.or.id

Contact

Annisa A. Hanifa, Programme Communications Specialist

Email: [email protected]; WA: 081807805393