Who is Dina Chaerani?
I am a passionate child and youth advocate with a wealth of experience working directly with youth in need. My academic background and youth work with the Plan International Youth Advisory Panel and the Youth Coalition for Girls have afforded me the opportunity to acquire a deep understanding of social service programs, family and child services, and program management. I currently run a youth-led organization called @Sexdugram.
What is Sexdugram?
@Sexdugram is an interactive, safe, inclusive, and accessible online platform on Instagram for youth in Indonesia to use as an open-access doorway to sensitive topics that are not taught in schools or other formal settings. It provides a non-judgmental space to explore comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) and is dedicated to being a safe haven for all young individuals.
What motivated you to establish it?
@Sexdugram was established in October 2022, when all of us co-founders – Dina, Elvita and Fahza – were taking part in the YTH Live Global ETR’s Digital Innovation Comprehensive Sexuality Education Challenge.
Our personal stories and struggles as young people in Indonesia were the biggest motivation for us to develop @Sexdugram. I am a sexual violence survivor, I understand the immense difficulty of carrying the label ‘sexual violence victim,’ especially as a teenager at the age of 13. I felt overwhelmed by the blame I received, even from my closest friends, and I sought out help through the school and online counseling. Unfortunately, it was a challenging journey, marked by judgment and hurtful words. From that moment, I made a promise to myself to develop an inclusive platform, specifically for young girls, where they can find comfort, empathy, and someone to listen to them, even if I can’t provide a complete solution.
Despite the formal education curriculum, many young girls in Indonesia still feel ashamed discussing sexual reproductive health. In 2022, statistics from Indonesia Data revealed that 400,000 children and adolescents under 19 are married annually, with 87.5% being girls. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this issue, leaving these young individuals without adequate knowledge about pre-marital sex education, putting them at risk of domestic violence, divorce, unplanned and unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, or even death.
@Sexdugram is therefore the realization of our dreams, my dream. I aspire for every young person in Indonesia to have the opportunity to claim their right to comprehensive sex education and to be able to engage in open discussions about it. This is not only crucial for their personal growth, but also for the realization of Sustainable Development Goal 5.
How does it work?
@Sexdugram operates on Instagram. We partner with various institutions, youth-led organizations, and individuals to generate a wealth of content covering SRHR, CSE, and premarital sex education. This content is delivered through reels, magazines, Instagram stories, and weekly Instagram live sessions. We’ve also joined hands with other initiatives, and we’ve taken part in the 16 Days of Activism Campaign and International Women’s Day.
Who is the target audience?
In January 2021, Indonesia boasted approximately 87.8 million Instagram users, constituting 29.6% of the nation’s total population. Among these users, 36.4% are young individuals under 25 years of age – our primary target audience. While we actively seek collaborations and engage with these users to foster education, our mission extends beyond borders.
In this age of borderless communication, we believe that knowledge should be freely accessible and boundless, transcending age and geographical boundaries. Empowering youth through online platforms is crucial for safeguarding them against adverse experiences, particularly in the context of marriage.
Follow @sexdugram on Instagram
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