Jakarta, MINA – The Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) has reported a significant downward trend in marriages involving couples under the age of 19 over the past three years.
“A positive trend is shown in the data on child marriages in Indonesia, based on the records from the Ministry of Religious Affairs’ Marriage Management Information System (SIMKAH),” said Cecep Khairul Anwar, Director of KUA and Sakinah Family Development, in Jakarta on Wednesday.
He made the statement while holding a Technical Guidance (Bimtek) session for Facilitators of School-Aged Youth Guidance (BRUS), which was attended by 100 registrars from various regions.
According to Kemenag’s SIMKAH data, child marriages numbered 8,804 couples in 2022, dropped to 5,489 couples in 2023, and fell again to 4,150 couples in 2024.
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Kemenag will continue to push for a further decrease in child marriages through its school-aged youth guidance program.
Cecep said that BRUS facilitators are equipped with skills to help teenagers build a healthy self-concept and understand religious teachings in a way that is relevant to their age.
“This technical guidance equips facilitators to be able to help teenagers recognize and understand their own character. Self-understanding is closely related to the resilience needed to make decisions, including those about marriage,” he said.
He added that the BRUS program focuses on mentoring teenagers to help them avoid various social risks such as early marriage, premarital sex, bullying, online gambling, and drug abuse.
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Cecep stated that comprehensive youth development will strengthen the resilience of the younger generation and have a long-term impact on the nation’s progress.
“When the younger generation is strong mentally, spiritually, and socially, the future of the nation will be more secure,” he said. [Shibgho]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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