West Java's Cianjur to Introduce Ban on Contract Marriages

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Cianjur regency government of West Java will soon issue a ban against contract marriages or unregistered marriages to prevent a rise in the marriages between locals and international tourists that often take place in the area of Cipanas-Puncak. 

“We will soon issue a Regent’s Regulation regarding the ban against contract marriages,” said Cianjur Regent Herman Suherman in Cianjur, June 4. “The ban will generally be subjected to local residents and international tourists.”

He added that a fatwa explicitly mentioned that contract marriages were degrading towards women. 

“We feel sinful if we let this continue happening and this is why we are creating a regulation to impose sanctions and create a deterrent effect,” he said.

The chairperson of the Integrated Care Center for the Empowerment of Women and Children (P2TP2A) in Cianjur, Lidya Indiyani Umar, said there were three reports on contract marriages in 2021 involving women in Cianjur, which proved that this tradition persisted in the region. 

She said out of the three reports this year, one woman was left pregnant and abandoned by her partner after their contract marriage expired. “We support the Regent’s Regulation against contract marriages and the strict sanctions so there will be no more contract marriages in Cianjur,” she said. 

Read: Indonesia's Underage Marriages Remain High

ANTARA