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pparently under pressure to tackle rampant cases of underage marriage, the government is increasing its campaign nationwide to address the prolonged social problem.

Deputy head for child growth and development affairs at the Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry, Lenny N. Rosalin, said the public awareness campaign was meant to ensure that all cities in the country would embrace this child protection policy.

“The campaign will include the establishment of family learning centers that will provide free counseling for families in need. The centers’ task is to educate families about the dangers of underage marriage,” she said, while adding that the campaign would be held in 300 cities and regencies across the nation.

She further went on that preventing underage marriages from happening had become one of the ministry’s priorities this year to meet the country’s sustainable development targets of zero child marriages by 2030.

“We will also intensify our efforts by creating a law that prohibits underage marriage. Many people still think that underage marriage is not harmful,” Lenny said,

She said the efforts would include educating religious clerics and officials of the Religious Affairs Office (KUA) to reject underage marriages without exception, particularly in provinces with high rates.

A survey conducted last year by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) revealed that the child marriage rate remained high, as 23 percent of women in 300,000 households in 500 cities and regencies exchanged marriage vows when they were still under 18. The percentage had slightly decreased from 24.5 percent in 2010.

The survey showed West Sulawesi province had the highest percentage of child marriage with 34 percent, followed respectively by South Kalimantan with 33.68 percent, Central Kalimantan with 33.56 percent, West Kalimantan with 32.21 percent, and Central Sulawesi with 31.91 percent.

UNICEF Indonesia Representative Gunilla Olson said the majority of child marriages in the Southeast Asia and Pacific region occurred in Indonesia, citing that roughly 1,000 underage girls were married everyday in the country.

University of Indonesia’s Gender Research Center head Iklilah Muzayyanah said the government needed to take quick action to curb the practice.

“There is belief in the community that women should get married early, because some parents are often afraid that their daughters will become spinsters. There is also pressure from society against mature women who yet have married,” Iklilah said.

She further said the 1974 Marriage Law, which stipulates the minimum age of marriage for girls at 16 years and boys at 19, should be revoked.

At the age of 16, girls likely have had yet to finish senior high school. Therefore, the law is contradictory to the government program that obliges all children to at least have had completed secondary education, she said. (fac)