Minister Condemns Aisha Weddings for Child Exploitation

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection on Wednesday announced it will conduct an investigation on the alleged child marriage scheme offered by an event organizer Aisha Weddings, which has gone viral on social media. 

The Minister, Bintang Puspayoga, urged people to counter the number of child marriages in Indonesia by campaigning against such practices that violate the rights of children. She stated that the ministry along with NGOs will file police reports to have the wedding organizer investigated. 

“There remains to be certain groups that still massively encourage children to not fear marriage at a young age, such as what was uprooted by Aisha Weddings through social media and brochures,” wrote Bintang in a statement on Wednesday, February 10.

According to the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister, the wedding practices that Aisha Weddings have promoted heavily has enraged the ministry and non governmental organizations that have actively campaigned on child protection. 

Not only the government and institutions, largely people in general who are aware of the company’s  practices are also deeply concerned about letting female and male teenagers to be allowed to marry each other and, what the wedding company has done would affect the mindset of teens.

“Marriages in Indonesia are regulated under Marriage Law No.16/2019 stating marriages are only permitted for men and women already entering the age of 19,” she stated. “Aisha Weddings has violated and ignored the government in actively protecting and preventing children from being victims of violence and exploitation.”

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Indonesia's Underage Marriages Remain High

IMAM HAMDI