The Religious Affairs Ministry revealed Tuesday that the number of divorces per year in Indonesia has increased 10 fold since the end of the new order era in 1998, and that political differences between husbands and wives is being cited more frequently as a cause.
During the late Soeharto's New Order era, which crumbled in 1998, there was an average of 20,000 divorce cases per year, but the rate has shot up to more than 200,000 per year.
Your comments:
The tone of the article suggests women are responsible for the increase in the divorce rate.
I would suggest it is the men who use the excuse of polygamy to force a divorce who are the real instigators.
David
Jakarta
From a feminist point of view, I do agree with the Director General for Islamic Guidance at the Religious Affairs Ministry Nasaruddin Umar that the awareness of women's rights and their equality with men increases the number of divorces in Indonesia.
In the past, when women did not know about equal rights, they believed they always had to obey anything their husbands said. For example, they were worried their husbands would desert them, since they were economically dependent on them, so these women would stay married.
Now, with more women being aware of their rights, and especially with their being economically independent, they have more rights to have open discussions with their husbands and no longer just have to be "the angel of the house."
When they think their husbands treat them badly, they now have the courage to file for a divorce.
Nana Podungge
Nana, do you think that women's rights and equality allows women the freedom to do absolutely anything, leading to more divorce because they show men that they have the power now? Don't be narrow-minded! Women's awareness of their rights and equality with men should not make women do crazy things like ruining their marriages.
Women's equality does not mean to ruin the image of women, as women still need, care, protection and respect from men.
Unfortunately it is not easy to find men who do respect women nowadays.
The higher awareness of women's rights should lead to increased contemplation about what makes a good marriage, because their experiences such as seeing others divorce or the insecure future of children of divorced parents (plus finding out how treat a husband and how to be a good wife etc.) will make them think more about how to create a harmonious married life.
I think your opinion will discourage men from having any respect for women's equality.
Divorce seems to be the only legal way for women to get their rights. Men think that women are showing that they now have power and can call for a divorce if there are problems, but we all know that divorce is not a good solution for maintaining a marriage!
Furthermore, men will just think women's equality is all about a show of force.
Ketti
Do you think that men are the only ones to cheat? It takes two to tango, right?
Plebejer
The failure is not in Islam, the failure is in the Indonesians. Islam forbids infidelity and corruption, but many Indonesians accept these negative traits as a fact of life.
They do not live their lives in an Islamic way. I live in a Western country, and in many aspects, it is more Islamic than Indonesia.
Lorian
Divorce rate is up also because of paranoid wives, who think their husbands are cheating, when in fact they are not.
Not everyone is a bar girl, you know!
Rahadi Widodo
