"District and city governments must have a strategic plan to reduce child marriage, rather than relying solely on the central government," said Bonivasius Prasetya Ichtiarto, the ministry's Deputy for Population Control here on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the Family Planning 2030 Asia-Pacific forum.
He noted that the age-specific fertility rate (ASFR) of adolescent girls aged 15-19 in 2024 stood at 18 births per 1,000 girls.
Ichtiarto further said that though the country's adolescent birth rate is projected to continue to decline, further efforts are still needed, given the high risks of adolescent pregnancy, not only to the girls but also to their babies.
Apart from that, he also called for the support and participation of all parties, including community leaders, religious leaders, and customary leaders, to educate people on reducing child marriage.
Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded that in 2023, the rate of women aged 20-24 who got married or lived together with their partners before the age of 18 stood at 6.92 percent.
This rate was significantly higher in villages, reaching 11.19 percent, compared to only 4.21 percent in urban areas.
According to data from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, child marriage continued to decline in the last three years, from 8,804 couples getting married in 2022, to 5,489 couples in 2023, and declined again to 4,150 couples in 2024.
The Indonesian government has developed the National Strategy to Prevent Child Marriage, which includes five key steps: optimizing children's capacity, realizing a supportive environment to end child marriage, expanding services and accessibility, strengthening regulations and institutions, and bolstering coordination among stakeholders.
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Translator: Dewa Ketut, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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