On October 29, 2025, Tangerang City became the first city to host the Kick Off of the HER Way Program, a collaborative initiative started by the RISE Foundation in collaboration with the Project HOPE Indonesia Foundation and supported by Kimberly-Clark Corporation. This program is designed to strengthen the empowerment of adolescent girls and young women through a life-cycle approach, with the aim of improving the health, well-being, and resilience of women across various stages of life. HER Way, known in Indonesian as SEKAR, (Healthy, Knowledgeable, and Resilient), targets four intervention areas: Tangerang City, Bandung Regency, Sidoarjo Regency, and Banyuwangi Regency. The program is also aligned with government programs through three main pillars: Empowered Adolescents, Women-Centered Maternity Care, and Empowered New Mothers and Families.

The Kick Off event began with speeches delivered in turn by the Executive Director of Project HOPE Foundation, the Executive Director of RISE Foundation, a representative from Kimberly-Clark Indonesia, the Deputy Minister of Mental Health from the Ministry of Health, which is part of the Central Ministry of Health, and the Head of the Tangerang City Health Office. Dr. Lovely Daisy, MKM, as Director of Family Health Services at the Ministry of Health, emphasized the importance of this initiative in her speech. She highlighted that despite efforts made, the national Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) remains a crucial indicator (around 186/100,000 live births). Therefore, investment in adolescents and young mothers is critical, especially amid the challenge of increasing cases of marriage dispensation (legal marriages for women below the age of 19).

In response, the Tangerang City government welcomed this program because it highlights the goal of achieving zero maternal and infant mortality, and sees HER Way as strategic support amid regional budget efficiency. “The health of mothers, infants, and adolescents is the main foundation for realizing a quality Golden Generation 2045. Our hope is not just a reduction, but NO MORE maternal and infant deaths in the City of Tangerang,” emphasized Dr. Dini Anggraeni, MM, Head of the Tangerang City Health Department.

In its remarks, Project HOPE emphasized that HER Way is a collaborative effort to expand access to quality healthcare, improve women’s resilience and well-being, and encourage safe and responsible decision-making. The RISE Foundation emphasized the importance of program alignment with government policies, while Kimberly-Clark underscored its commitment to improving the health and well-being of adolescent girls through corporate social responsibility to create a sustainable positive impact in line with the company’s vision of “Better Care, Better Work.” 

The Tangerang City Health Office also presented the demographic profile, health facilities, and local maternal and child health (MCH) situation. Tangerang City has a population of 1.9 million with 39 community health centers, 35 hospitals, and 89 adolescent health posts. The HER Way program will target 880 participants in its first year across four regions, including 800 adolescents and 80 facilitators. Interventions will be carried out in schools and health facilities integrated with community health centers, in intensive coordination with the Education Office, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and the Provincial KCD to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of the program. The program also highlights priority issues such as adolescent anemia, teenage pregnancy, and lack of reproductive health literacy, with a focus on Priok and Batu Ceper sub-districts as key selected intervention areas.

The discussion and Q&A session emphasized capacity building and cross-sector collaboration strategies. The Tangerang City Health Office presented service innovations such as the Kader SRIKANDI and MAK IDEP applications for monitoring pregnant women’s visits, the “Si Jari Emas” rapid referral system, and the strengthening of Posyandu Remaja (adolescent health posts), which are important points that are in line with the goals of Project Hope through the HER Way Program. Challenges identified include a shortage of psychologists, a lack of counseling rooms, and the need for effective communication training for health workers. Additionally, the HER Way program will optimize underutilized strategic assets, such as religious counselors from the Ministry of Religious Affairs to reach out to youth groups outside of school, and encourage corporate advocacy for a more pregnancy-friendly work environment.

The kick-off also included Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with youth and KIA groups, where participants discussed referral pathways for mental health issues for pregnant women and postpartum mothers. This is an important focus given the current limitations in support and the need for more effective psychosocial intervention strategies. The RISE Foundation plays a role in developing training materials, implementing them in schools, and monitoring activities through coordination with various parties, including professional organizations, youth forums, and academics. RISE Foundation Executive Director Artin Wuriyani said, “The Rise Foundation encourages all stakeholders in Tangerang City to collaborate in ensuring that women and young mothers find ‘HER way’ the path to learning, empowerment, and building health and well-being for themselves and their communities.” 

The main hope of the HER Way Kick Off Program is to create a common understanding among stakeholders, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and implement programs that are in line with community needs. This program is expected to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates, strengthen adolescent reproductive health literacy, and improve the welfare of new mothers and their families. Through the use of technology, strengthening human resource capacity, and policy advocacy, HER Way has the potential to become a model for sustainable, effective, innovative, and impactful women’s empowerment programs in Tangerang City and other regions.