Contract marriages to be studied

Contract marriages to be studied

JAKARTA: State Minister of Women's Empowerment Sri Redjeki
Soemaryoto announced on Monday that her office would investigate
the phenomenon of contract marriages between local women and
foreigners in Singkawang, West Kalimantan, which frequently harms
the local women.

"We shall go to Singkawang to observe the situation early in
January," Sri said.

She said that the research would be aimed at gleaning
information about the issue. She added that she once asked the
local administration about it, and it did not deny that such
marriages took place in the region.

Contract marriages are widespread in West Kalimantan, with
local parents allowing their daughters to marry foreigners in the
hope that they will help lift them out of poverty.

On the other hand, foreigners go to Singkawang mainly because
of their difficulty in finding a life partner in their own
country. For this, they are willing to offer a large dowry.
--Antara