Jakarta, March 13 -- Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Arifah Fauzi has reaffirmed the government's commitment to protecting women and children while ensuring they have equal opportunities to participate in national development.

"Women's progress must begin with the fulfillment of basic rights, followed by the enforcement of justice, and realized through concrete actions in sustainable development policies and programs," she said in a statement in Jakarta on Friday.

She noted that a key principle of inclusive and sustainable development is gender equality. This means that women and men have equal rights, opportunities, access, and participation, as well as equal control over resources and the benefits of development....