TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United Nations Children's Foundation (UNICEF) urged Indonesian state officials to erase underage marriage tradition that continues to be practiced in the present day. Women Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohana Yembise, stated that the minimum age to conduct marriage is 18 years old.
"[UNICEF] emphasized that we must make a [policy]. Maybe a Presidential decree on how to end underage marriage," Yohana said on Monday, February 27, 2017.
Yohana added that other countries already have a regulation regarding underage marriage.
Yohana explained that opposing views on underage marriage at the Constitutional Court (MK) had caused trouble in ending the practice. Yohana stated that several religious groups continue to allow underage marriage in their beliefs. "Which is why we're still [arguing] at the MK," Yohana said.
Based on UNICEF's records, the number of underage marriages in Indonesia is considerably high at a rate of 25 percent. The United Nations' Secretary General for Child Protection Santos Pais, argued that underage marriage increases the threat of mortality among young women. In addition, married young women would usually drop out of school and are unlikely to achieve high academic level once they have children.
Despite the abovementioned shortages, Yohana said that the Indonesian government has managed to achieve some positive results. According to Yohana, the UNICEF had asked President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to share his experiences on child protection. "The UNICEF asked the President to participate in a UN meeting on July 2017," Yohana said.
Yohana added that the Indonesian government has successfully implemented several policies that can serve as examples for other countries, including policies on social rehabilitation, school bullying prevention, and children protection against negative internet content.
ADITYA BUDIMAN