COVID-19 and the surge of child marriages: A phenomenon in Nusa Tenggara Barat, Indonesia

Rahiem, Maila Dinia Husni

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105168

Cited by 51 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…The collected data from the Supreme Court showed that dispensation applications were rising by 258% (64,225 cases) and 253% (62,890 cases) in 2020 and 2021, respectively, when compared with the nationwide application numbers in 2019 (24,865 cases). This uprising application numbers supported the estimation of additional 2.5 million girls worldwide are at risk of children marriage by 2025 because of the COVID-19 pandemic (Bellizzi et al, 2021;Das et al, 2022;Rahiem, 2021;Yukich et al, 2021), which were also found in other Muslim-majority countries like Afghanistan and Bangladesh where child marriages in 2020 arose more than double compared to 2019 (Bellizzi et al, 2021). Previous analysis of post-disaster effects also found that girls who lived in Muslim-majority communities had a higher risk to be married after natural disasters than girls in Muslim-minority communities in Indonesia (Dewi & Dartanto, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

“…In other words, up to 80% of these child marriage dispensation numbers in 2020 and 2021 could be caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which a phenomenon was also found after natural disasters (Dewi & Dartanto, 2019; Pusat Kajian dan Advokasi Perlindungan dan Kualitas Hidup Anak Universitas Indonesia, 2020). Girls in Indonesia were at a greater risk to be married at a young age than boys because they were perceived as a family's liability, particularly when the parent(s) died or the assets were gone, which also found in Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, and Nigeria during the pandemic (Rahiem, 2021;Yukich et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indonesia was the second-highest among Southeast Asian countries and ranked eighth worldwide for the recorded child marriages, which was led by parents' fear of adultery and was also found in other conservative countries (Das et al, 2022;Rahiem, 2021;Wibowo et al, 2021). Furthermore, Muslim conservative groups were encouraging young people to marry early, for example, through the Indonesian Movement without Dating (Indonesia Tanpa Pacaran) campaign where dating was perceived as promiscuity and could lead to sins by doing adultery (Rahiem, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It was consistently found that the number of child marriages was climbing during crises and disasters (Rahiem, 2021). For example, wars and famines were observed to be associated with the risk of child marriage in conflict-zone areas (Bellizzi et al, 2021;Yukich et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tick tick boom: The rise of child marriage in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Julianto¹,

Kamsi²,

Haq³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Introduction: Child marriage is a global phenomenon where one in six girls aged under 19 are married as child brides that are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, in which girls are disproportionately affected by this practice. Therefore, this study aimed to provide reliable numbers of child marriages in Indonesia during the pandemic.Methods: Records from all 412 [Islamic] Religious Courts at the city/district level provided by the Supreme Court of The Republic of Indonesia were analysed, particularly the numbers of child marriage dispensation applications (bride and/or groom is below 19 years old) from 2019 to 2021.Results: New child marriage dispensation application numbers in 2019, 2020, and 2021 were 24,865, 64,225, and 62,890 cases, respectively, of which 2-4% of new applications were withdrawn every year. Up to 65% of new applications from 2019 to 2021 were consistently registered in six provinces in Java. However, the top-rank provinces with the rise of new applications in 2020 and 2021 when compared to records in 2019 were from outside Java, including Papua Barat, DI Aceh, Jambi, Maluku, Sulawesi Utara, Sumatera Barat, and Bengkulu.Conclusions: The child marriages in Indonesia skyrocketed by 2.5 times during the pandemic, represented by the rise of new child marriage dispensation applications to the Religious Courts between 2020 and 2021.Policy implications: Stakeholders should consider socio-economic and psycho-cultural factors in planning child marriage intervention programs during the pandemic, including involving local/religious leaders, tightening the marriage dispensation process, and prioritising areas with high percentages of poverty and the girl population.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Tick tick boom: The rise of child marriage in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Julianto¹,

Kamsi²,

Haq³

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Strict health standards and a considerable rise in COVID-19 vaccination are necessary to break the SARS-CoV-2 transmission cycle. To reduce COVID-19-related information, illness, and mortality, as well as to develop herd immunity, and to sustain the community's social and economic viability (Rahiem, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 vaccination service

Kusumo

Wijaksana²,

Najicha

et al. 2022

ijhs

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The purpose of this paper is to discuss potential legal complications as well as the protection of health care employees involved in COVID-19 immunization services at HSFs. COVID-19 instances are increasing at an alarming rate, and strict health norms are falling behind. COVID-19 vaccinations are critical to halting the virus's transmission in the community, reducing disease-related suffering and mortality, boosting herd immunity, and protecting the community from COVID-19 while social and economic activities are restored. COVID-19 vaccination, on the other hand, continues to confront obstacles as a result of public rejection. This scientific publication is based on a normative legal approach. The public's refusal of the COVID-19 vaccine results in a plethora of complications, including public misconceptions and suspicions of vaccination conspiracies by healthcare professionals. According to a review of the literature, health workers who provide COVID-19 vaccination services in Indonesia are legally protected if they follow established procedures. Medical Practice Law No. 29 of 2004, Presidential Regulation No. 14 of 2021, Health Minister of Republic Indonesia Regulations No. 269 and 290, and Decree of the Minister of Public Health HK.01.07/Menkes/413/2020 concerning Coronavirus Disease Prevention and Control 2019 all provide legal protection for health workers.

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Child marriage and education in the context of a global pandemic: Exploring the gendered implications of COVID‐inspired school closures in Ghana

Mohammed

2023

Child Abuse Review

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This article aims to cast light on the negative but silent effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic on girls' education and welfare in Ghana. Since the pandemic emerged in 2019, unprecedented changes have occurred in ordinary people's health, education and social life. As a response to the pandemic, governments globally implemented social distancing regimes, lockdowns and school closures to curtail the spread of the virus. While this approach did help in curtailing the spread of the pandemic, implementing lockdowns and school closures in Ghana had unintended consequences: they amplified gendered inequalities in access to education. Drawing on one‐on‐one semi‐structured interviews with (i) 10 teachers and one head teacher, 13 parents of child brides, and 11 child brides (aged 15–19), and (ii) Focus group discussions (FGDs) with 15 community leaders in a rural Ghanaian setting (Mion), this article provides empirical evidence to show how the pandemic has disrupted the lives and education of 11 girls. In particular, school closures and rising poverty due to the pandemic led to increased child marriage. These 11 schoolgirls were seen as a burden by their parents, and, consequently, married off to older men as an adverse coping strategy. Furthermore, some of the girls themselves requested to be married, due to rising household chores occasioned by the school closures. Finally, the school closures also offered the community the justification to reactivate deeply held notions about the value of a girl's education as a basis for marrying them off.

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COVID-19 and the surge of child marriages: A phenomenon in Nusa Tenggara Barat, Indonesia

Cited by 51 publications

References 63 publications

Tick tick boom: The rise of child marriage in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Tick tick boom: The rise of child marriage in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 vaccination service

Child marriage and education in the context of a global pandemic: Exploring the gendered implications of COVID‐inspired school closures in Ghana

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