Indonesia Strengthens Family Partnerships to Prevent Child Marriage Nationwide

RRI.CO.ID, Surabaya - Indonesia's Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, Arifah Fauzi, has called for stronger parenting partnerships between fathers and mothers as a key strategy to prevent child marriage. The appeal was made during the commemoration of the 33rd National Family Day (Harganas) in East Java, Monday, June 29, 2026, which carried the theme "Present Fathers, Harmonious Families for Stronger Family Resilience."

The minister emphasized that families are the cornerstone of national development and the first place where children receive love, protection, education, and essential life values. She said preventing child marriage begins with creating a supportive family environment in which both parents share equal responsibility for raising their children.

"Preventing child marriage cannot be separated from the role of the family. Parenting is a shared responsibility between fathers and mothers as equal partners," Arifah said. "A father's presence is not only physical but also emotional in decision-making, education, caregiving, and serving as a role model for children."

Arifah noted that Indonesia has made significant progress in reducing child marriage. According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the proportion of women aged 20–24 who were first married or living with a partner before the age of 18 declined from 5.90 percent in 2024 to 4.56 percent in 2025, surpassing the national development target.

She also praised the East Java Provincial Government for consistently reducing child marriage over the past five years. The province's rate fell from 10.67 percent in 2020 to 5.49 percent in 2025, reflecting stronger public policies, family education, child protection services, and cross-sector collaboration.

The minister highlighted the government's National Strategy for the Prevention of Child Marriage as a framework for ministries, local governments, and other stakeholders to address both registered and unregistered child marriages. She added that the ministry has strengthened cooperation with Indonesia's Religious Courts under the Supreme Court to improve the protection of women and children in marriage dispensation and divorce cases.

"Collaboration among the government, families, and all sectors of society is the key to preventing child marriage and building harmonious families," Arifah said. "Through these collective efforts, every Indonesian child can grow, develop, and participate fully in achieving the vision of Golden Indonesia 2045."

The event also featured the presentation of the 2026 Child Marriage Prevention Awards to regional governments demonstrating strong commitment to protecting children, as well as the launch of the Integrated Assistance and Services for Civil Servant Families (Pelita ASN) program by the East Java Provincial Government. The Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection believes these initiatives will further strengthen family resilience and improve children's well-being across Indonesia.