"Marriage officiants' task goes beyond registering marriages. You should be able to educate people on the importance of marriage. Therefore, it is vital that you possess public communication skills," he told them.
According to a statement released by his office here on Friday, the minister made the remarks virtually during a communication and counseling training activity organized for marriage officiants on Tuesday.
Based on data issued by Statistics Indonesia (BPS) in February 2024, the number of divorces among Indonesians fell from 516,344 in 2022 to 463,654 in 2023.
The minister observed that 60 percent of divorce cases in Indonesia involved couples whose marriages had not yet reached the five-year mark.
"Women and children are surely the ones most affected by such cases. We must pay special attention to this matter. Therefore, marriage officiants and counselors need to provide educational and counseling services for their respective communities," he said.
Taking note of technological advancements, the minister highlighted the need to leverage artificial intelligence to achieve more effective communication and adapt to changes.
"I hope that the communication skills you acquire at this activity will contribute to the reduction of the divorce rate," he told the marriage officiants.
In the same statement, the Religious Affairs Ministry's director of KUA and family development, Cecep Khairul Anwar, said that Indonesia has 9,333 marriage officiants, with 8,661 registered as civil servants and the rest serving as contract-based government employees.
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Translator: Asep F, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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