KPAI Stresses Need for Concrete Cross-Sector Action to End Child Marriage

The Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) has stated the importance of concrete cross-sector steps to stop the practice of child marriage. KPAI member Dian Sasmita said during a webinar in Jakarta on Tuesday (21/7) that the role of the state, families, society, and all stakeholders is vital in ensuring children receive optimal protection. This effort is crucial because child marriage creates vulnerabilities to sexual violence, school dropout, and violations of children’s rights. The cessation of child marriage must become a shared agenda, as the practice is closely linked to increasing children’s vulnerability to sexual violence, school dropout, and violations of their rights.

Meanwhile, Veryanto Sitohang, Director of Aliansi Sumut Bersatu, emphasised that child marriage is a form of forced marriage categorised as a criminal act of sexual violence under the Sexual Violence Crime Law (UU TPKS). He stated that child marriage must not be tolerated in any form and that stopping it requires a joint movement involving the government, civil society, traditional leaders, religious leaders, academics, media, and communities to make child protection a shared responsibility. Article 10 paragraph (2) of the TPKS Law threatens perpetrators of forced marriage, including child marriage, forced marriage under the pretext of tradition such as ‘kawin tangkap’, and marrying victims to perpetrators of sexual violence, with a maximum prison sentence of nine years and/or a maximum fine of Rp200 million.

Veryanto added that child marriage has serious impacts, including the deprivation of education rights, the risk of domestic violence, cyclical poverty, and is one of the leading causes of death for girls aged 15-19 worldwide. According to 2023 data from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Indonesia ranks fourth globally in child marriage cases, with a total of 25.53 million cases. KPAI data also maps the provinces with the highest prevalence of child marriage, namely West Sulawesi (34.4 percent), South Kalimantan (33.68 percent), Central Kalimantan (33.56 percent), West Kalimantan (32.21 percent), and Central Sulawesi (31.91 percent).