Child marriage is prevalent throughout Indonesia, affecting both girls and boys. This project is helping to eradicate the harmful practice of child marriage through raising awareness, changing behaviour and empowering communities with the knowledge and tools needed to resist child marriage.
Statistics from 2008 reveal that 36.6% of Indonesian marriages involve people aged 16 and under.
Indonesia’s Marriage Law (1974) sets the minimum legal age for marriage at 19 for males and 16 for females. However, it is possible and legal to marry before 16 with an official dispensation from the Religious Court or a government officer – a practice that contradicts the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which defines child marriage as the marriage of those under 18.
Recognising that child marriage is a complex and culturally ingrained issue, Plan aims to reduce incidence of child marriage and enhance gender equality at the local community level in Indonesia. This is being achieved through helping people understand the risks and negative impacts of child marriage, and through linking the project with district and national level government policy changes.
To date, we have conducted research into the causes and implications of child marriage and examined the existing legal framework and local government initiatives to prevent and deal with child marriage cases. We have also organised a range of awareness raising and behavior change programs in local communities in the districts of Dompu and Grobogan, working with village officials, children’s councils, local secondary schools and local community-based organisations.
In 2013 we have:
- established Child Marriage Prevention Forums in 14 villages in Dompu district with 30 adolescent peer facilitators;
- assisted 14 villages to develop action plans to prevent child marriages;
- conducted awareness-raising meetings with government officials, sub-district officers, judges from religious courts, children’s forums, and civil society organizations;
- conducted 33 seminars for 1,604 girls, boys (659 girls and 388 boys) and community members in 16 villages to increase their awareness and knowledge about the negative impacts of child marriage, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health issues;
- organised awareness raising campaigns in the districts of Dompu and Grobogan, involving government and community groups;
- Carried out activities to identify and mitigate the practice of age-falsification in village-level marriage registration.
Challenges in delaying Child Marriage: Story of Amir
After meeting on recording and reporting of child marriage cases that was conducted by Plan Indonesia Dompu district in June 2012, the newly elected village chief of Tembalae, Amir, committed to not falsify the age of couples who want to get married. His commitment was followed by the entire village officials of Tembalae.
Just a few months after this village chief started his term (and after attending Plan’s training), he faced a few temptations to falsify the age of children whose parents wanted them to get married. He refused to do so and directed people to ask for dispensation to the District Religious Court (a required step of case escalation to a more senior government institution).
As a result, from March to September 2012 there were two cases of child marriage that have been proposed for dispensation to District Religious Court of Dompu. This is a great step forward in changing local practices, because previously village officials would practice age falsification.
What’s covered in project cost?
In the areas in Indonesia where Plan works, there is a high incidence of child marriage. This has a massive negative effect on a girl’s life. This project funding will go towards :
- Awareness raising interventions in Junior/Senior High schools, for students, teachers, headmasters, school committee members and other key education stakeholders.
- Meetings at the village level to raise awareness on early marriage.
Project objective
- Conduct further baseline data in the districts of Dompu and Grobogan in order to gauge the impact of interventions.
- Design a three-year program to further reduce the incidence of early marriage and early motherhood by mobilizing behaviour change programs, supporting girls’ education, and support adolescent health services.
- Continue to conduct further awareness-raising meetings with government officials, sub-district officers, judges from religious courts, children’s forums, and civil society organisations. Hold community meetings to educate families about the negative impact of child marriage on children.
- Develop an Action Plan to integrate child marriage prevention into the work plan of the Children’s Council, Dompu.
- More activities to integrate child marriage prevention programs with adolescent health and counselling centres.
Background into the current situation
Statistics from 2008 revealed that 36.6% of Indonesian marriages involved people aged 16 and under. House poverty, limited educational and employment opportunities for young women as well as cultural factors encourage child marriage. There are a range of detrimental psychological and emotional impacts on children who marry early and a range of detrimental health outcomes for young women who give birth to children before they are fully mature.
Indonesia’s Marital Act sets the minimum legal age for marriage at 19 for males and 16 for females. However, it is possible and legal to marry before 16 with an official dispensation from the Religious Court or a government officer – a practice that contradicts International Law which defines child marriage as the marriage of those under 18.
Plan aims to work with communities, civil society organisations, local children’s forums, government and local authorities to reduce the prevalence of child marriage. Plan will encourage the implementation of key principles of international conventions like the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child that promote awareness and understanding of the detrimental impacts of child marriage to help discourage this human rights violation.
Part of a larger project
This project funded through the Footprints Network is part of a larger program Plan is conducting across 8 districts (Rembang, Grobogan, Soe, Sikka, Lembata, Indramayu, and Tabanan) including
- Research into the causes and implications of child marriage
- Examined the existing legal framework
- Local government initiatives to prevent and deal with child marriage cases.
This year, focusing on the districts of Dompu and Grobogan, Plan has mobilised a range of awareness raising and behaviour change programs at community level, working with village officials, the Children’s Council, local secondary schools and women’s groups. Plan has also consulted with local government officials and the Ministry of Religious Affairs to address the practice of age falsification as well as the under-reporting of child marriage. In addition there is also consultation with parents groups and district health agencies that identified a role for Adolescent Friendly Health Service to provide input into a school curriculum in tackling child marriage issues. Plan has also participated in coordination meetings to discuss integrating the program strategy with a national government program in order to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
Photo: When Kusno, the head of a Plan-supported village child protection group heard about a 14 year-old girl who was to be wedded to an older man in a neighbouring village, he lodged a complaint with the district Religious Affairs Office and managed to stop them from issuing a marriage license.
How was it this funded?
Thanks to hundreds of tiny donations from these online businesses and their customers.
- ***WorldNomads.com.au
- ***WorldNomads.co.nz
- World Nomads Canada
- www.WorldNomads.com
- ***World Nomads UK
- ***SureSave
Put simply, we’re the charity
for girls’ equality.
We tackle the root causes of
poverty, support communities through crises, campaign for gender equality, and
help governments do what’s right for children and particularly for girls. We
are a secular organisation with no religious or political affiliations.We believe a better world is
possible. An equal world; a world where all children can live happy and healthy
lives, and where girls can take their rightful place as equals.
Visit: plan.org.au