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Women prioritized in govt's premarital programs, minister says
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Shared responsibility: Nutrition officer Sri Sugiyanti gives information on reproductive health to a couple during a premarital counseling session in Juwiring, Klaten regency, Central Java. (JP/Kusumasari Ayuningtyas)
W
omen are the main target of the government’s premarital programs for future brides and grooms as the women are expected to be the homemakers that give birth and nurture the country’s future generation that is free from stunting, a senior minister said on Monday.
Education on raising children must start early on, not only when women are about to get married, Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy said.
“We need to prepare future homemakers who are truly ready. Because women are the ones who become housewives that will pay attention to children. So educating women from when they are teenagers until they are set to embark on marriage is really important,” he said as quoted by kompas.com on Monday.
His ministry announced the program last year for would-be married couples, in which they would be required to attend three months of classes to get a certificate needed to apply for a marriage license.
The program is aimed at creating excellent future generations and lowering the stunting rate in Indonesia. According to the Health Ministry’s 2019 basic health research, the prevalence rate of stunted children under 5 years old stands at 27.7 percent, meaning that 28 out of 100 children in the country live with the issue.
Read also: Planning to get married? Indonesia considers mandatory premarital class for couples in 2020
The ministry planned to implement the classes this year, but he said it had been put on hold due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Muhadjir explained that the premarital classes would education couples on reproduction, family financial planning and building a household.
“Hopefully, the program can create families with a healthy young generation, as well as economically stable families,” he said.
He further said the role of mass organizations and education institution that focused on women affairs would play a significant role in the success of the program.
“If the premarital classes can be carried out properly, I believe that new families can develop well,” the minister added. (vny)
