Semarang, Central Java (ANTARA) - Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Bintang Puspayoga stated that parents must be digitally literate in order to play the role of assisting children in the current digital era.

She made the statement during the Jelajah Sapa event at Kebon Dalem Nature-based School here on Sunday.

The minister noted that the technology that is rapidly developing in the digital era could have positive and negative implications for children, especially as video content is easily accessed through gadgets.

Puspayoga assessed that many cases of online-based violence and gender-based violence must become an alarm for all in the current digitalization era.

"That is why parents must be digitally literate so that they can assist their children, can sort out which content that can be accessed (by children) and which they (children) should not (access)," the minister explained.

Nevertheless, digitalization has positive effects in helping many cases of violence against women and children to be exposed and handled immediately so that the victims can get justice, and the perpetrators can be punished.

She linked violence with the iceberg phenomenon, in which many of the cases are still not yet revealed.

She noted that the massive use of social media has caused some cases of violence, including those against women and children, to be exposed and made many people have the courage to report what they experienced.

"We thank those who witness and acknowledge, and victims who are courageous to report. They no longer see violence, sexual violence that they experienced as a shame. This is inseparable from the impact of social media," Puspayoga remarked.

On that occasion, Semarang Mayor Hevearita Gunaryanti Rahayu, who accompanied the minister, said that Semarang would host the 2023 National Children's Day (HAN) commemoration, which will peak on July 23, 2023.

Rahayu noted that the Sunday's visit is part of the series of 2023 HAN events.