The ministry’s Secretary Budi Setiyono, when contacted via text message here on Wednesday, said that the issue of early marriage needs to be viewed from a demographic perspective, as marriage should not be regarded merely as a social event, but also as a factor that can affect population structure, health, education, and the economy.
“Early marriage can have a direct impact on the quality of human resources because it often occurs at an age when individuals have not yet reached physical, mental, and social maturity,” he said.
So far, Indonesian society has generally perceived early marriage as referring to individuals’ decisions to start a family before reaching maturity in adulthood, whether biologically, psychologically, or socially.
However, he emphasized that marriage needs to be viewed from a development and demographic perspective. The government advises that marriage should ideally not take place during adolescence.
“In terms of development, marriage at a young age is often associated with limited education, lack of economic readiness, and insufficient understanding of reproductive health,” he explained.
Therefore, he added, marriage should be entered into when both prospective wife and husband have attained maturity, physically, psychologically, socially, and economically.
Awareness of the need to prepare carefully for marriage should be a concern for both parties before deciding to live together and build a family, he pointed out.
The issue gained public attention after social media users widely discussed the decision of a content creator named Azkiave to marry at a relatively young age of 19.
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Translator: Lintang, Kenzu
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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