Jakarta (ANTARA) - Prevention of child marriages should entail the use of a holistic, comprehensive, and integrated approach that involves multiple sectors and several people, Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry's officialRini Handayanistated.Reducing the child marriage figure requires the efforts of several parties, ministries and institutions, religious figures, communities, and child activists, she noted during a media talk event titled "Child Marriage Endangers Reproductive Function" here, Friday. ccording to Handayani, the ministry continues to conduct dissemination and education on reproduction health at the grassroots level through the application of the Women and Child-Friendly Village model planned in 138 villages in Indonesia. Moreover, the ministry and regional governments also encourage the formation of a Family Learning Center (Puspaga) that is a preventive and promotional service unit that serves as a learning space to improve the quality of life to create prosperous families. Currently, there are 257 Puspagas in 231 districts or cities in Indonesia. "In addition, the presence of the Child Forum, as the pioneer and reporter in 34 provinces, 458 districts or cities have helped us in conducting dissemination of information and education related to child marriage," Handayani stated. During the 2020-2022 period, the Religious Court Directorate General at the Indonesian Supreme Court recorded that the number of marriage dispensation applications had declined every year. In 2022, it was recorded that 52,095 marriage dispensation applications were filed and 50,748 were decided. "This figure is still categorized as large, and it shows that child marriage still frequently occurs based on the number of (applications for) marriage dispensation filed in the court," Handayani remarked. While data on the prevalence of child marriages in Indonesia shows a decline every year, several child and teen marriages still continue to occur. These cases cannot be recorded, as they do not involve bringing the issue of marriage dispensation to the court. Thus, systemic and integrated efforts are deemed necessary in reducing the child marriage figure to reach the 6.94-percent target in 2030.

Source: Antara News Agency