High Divorce Triggered By Infidelity To Economy, West Sumatra Ministry Of Religion Prepares 55 Marriage Facilitators

Technical guidance for bride and groom marriage facilitators in Bukittinggi. (Antara/HO-Kemenag)

BUKITTINGGI - The Ministry of Religion of the West Sumatra region has prepared and trained 55 marriage facilitators consisting of religious leaders and counselors in the area to anticipate the high divorce rate.

"To create a strong and resilient family, we must begin by providing initial provision of providing marriage guidance services in the form of guidance for prospective brides and school-age teenagers, for that we provide facilitators of marriage guidance for prospective brides," said the Sub-Coordinator for FBKS Ministry of Religion, West Sumatra, Syafalmart at Bukittinggi, Antara, Wednesday, June 15.

According to him, the current problem in marriage is the high divorce rate, of 2 million marriages, 20 percent of them are divorced.

"In West Sumatra, out of 45 thousand marriages, divorce cases reach more than 8 thousand or 20 percent of marriage events and this needs to find the root of the problem," he said.

He identified several variables that were the cause, first, many brides and grooms built a household without having knowledge of the understanding of the sakinah family.

Second, found husbands or wives who have not implemented or are less responsible for carrying out their rights and obligations. Third, the prospective bride and groom are less able to manage the economy and fourth, the occurrence of infidelity cases.

"In response to this, it is necessary to provide knowledge about household planning from an early age to prospective brides and a facilitator who has the ability to facilitate it is needed," he said.

Meanwhile, Head of the Urais Division of the West Sumatra Ministry of Religion, Edison, said that currently the facilitators for marriage guidance for the bride and groom are still limited. Therefore, in 2022, his party targets all regencies and cities to have facilitators.

"Facilitators who have followed this technical guidance should be fully utilized by the city districts to manage marriage guidance in the District KUA," he said.

"We hope that this facilitator will be able to develop a pattern of marriage guidance for prospective brides so that they can touch the root of the problem in an effort to create a sakinah family and national family resilience," he said.

This activity presented resource persons from the National Instructor and Facilitator Team of the Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia, the Director of KUA Development and the Sakinah Family, the Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion of West Sumatra, the Health Office and the Provincial BKKBN.