"The family will be the spearhead (to prevent child marriage) that we must educate together," the ministry's Deputy Assistant for Fulfilment of Child's Rights on Nurturing and Environment, Rohika Kurniadi Sari, said here, Thursday (January 26).
At the national seminar on "Assessment of child marriage prevention report to realize child-friendly Indonesia in 2030," she emphasized that families must instill positive values in their children and not marry them off when they are underage.
"We must ensure that they would receive values instilled by their family. Child nurtured by the family must not become trapped in the child marriage practice," the ministry's official stated.
She noted that despite a decline in requests for marriage dispensation, the number remains high.
According to Law No. 1 of 1974 on Marriage, the minimum permissible age for a person to marry is 19 for men and 16 for women, and those under 21 years of age, who are looking to get married, would require marriage dispensation.
While the religious court had registered 65 thousand marriage dispensation requests in 2021, the number decreased slightly to 55 thousand in 2022, she stated.
"This is a child emergency. We must rev up our efforts to rescue (our children) and break off the vicious cycle (of child marriage), and we must do it together," Sari emphasized.
She also reiterated the ministry's commitment to continue to suppress child marriage in Indonesia, including by promoting the Stop Child Marriage Collective Movement.
"Reactivate this movement to be a massive action in collaboration with ministries and institutions, social institutions, other development partners, and the Children's Forum," the deputy assistant remarked.
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Translator: Anita Permata D, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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