In a hearing held on Thursday (10/30) at Constitutional Court (MK) Plenary Room, two cases of judicial review on Marriage Law being testified simultaneously. The Experts from both cases agreed that underage marriage fosters poverty.

Professor of UGM Social and Politic Science Faculty, Muhadjir Darwin said that complex problems of child marriage lie on economic matter. In such patriarchal culture, which is common in Indonesia, boys are being prioritized in getting proper education rather than their sisters. In return, many daughters are forced to get married in their early age.     

According to Muhadjir, economic demand from the family takes big role in such decision. However, this doesn’t necessarily end poverty, it prolongs and even increasing poverty in numbers. Muhadjir addressed the condition as fostering poverty. “If we really want to erode poverty, one of many ways is to control underage marriage,” Muhadjir said

Meanwhile, Children Rights Watch (YPHA) presented Misiyah who worked for Women Ship Institute which focusing in poverty and women’s education. Misiyah delivered quite much similar statement as Muhadjir’s.

Article 7 verse (1) Act 1/1974 about Marriage determined minimum age for men to get married is 19 years old and 16 years old for the women. The Article was seen magnifying discrimination toward women. In other words, men are given better chance to get higher education before marriage but women in worse way get different treatment.

With such treatment, Misiyah said women will only gain lower education and poverty is eyeing them. No wonder that more women ended their education than men did. “It can be seen from age limitation, underage marriage encompasses lower education and preserves poverty in Indonesia,” Misiyah retained.

High Maternal Mortality

Aside from fostering poverty, underage marriage also stacking up mortality rate in childbirth. From biological perspective, underage mother are not ready for giving a birth. “In countries where children marriage number is high, maternal mortality rate is usually high as well. Indonesia is one of them, we are still failing to cut down children marriage,” Muhadjir said. (Yusti Nurul Agustin/mh/kun)