In the article "How Divorce Highlighted the Legitimacy of the Institution of Marriage," we have seen how the high number of divorces makes trust in the institution of marriage decline. As part of the Writing of the VOI Series, "Marriage Today," we will now explore one of the most important root causes of all these issues. Why do we have to agree to reject marriage for couples who are still very young.
In Bantaeng District, South Sulawesi, two teenagers 13 and 14 years old registered their marriage with the local KUA. More than that, they also filed a lawsuit and dispensation to the Religious Court. Not pregnancy, let alone environmental pressure. Two teenagers married because the girl with the initials AM was afraid to sleep alone at home after her mother died.
In 2017, another case of early marriage also occurred. The case, which occurred in Polewali Mandar, West Sulawesi, involved a couple of teenagers aged 17 and 15 years. The two teenagers were married off because they often came home too early in the morning. Both families do not want their teenagers to be attacked by negative news. So, marriage was chosen as a solution.
Like an iceberg. The two cases above are a fraction of the many other cases of early marriage in Indonesia. The large number of couples who marry underage attests to society's shallow understanding of the age of marriage. People don't seem to understand why there is a recommended minimum age for humans to start married life.
The state has actually tried to regulate this problem. Article 7 of Law No.1 of 1974 concerning Marriage stipulates that marriage is only permitted for men who have reached the age of 19 and women have reached the age of 16. The law was later revised with a substantial change that the minimum age of marriage for men and women is equal to 19 years.
Many parties support this step. One of them was the then Minister of Health (Menkes), Nila F Moeloek. He said the revision of the Marriage Law would minimize the mortality rate for mothers and children from preterm labor - in terms of reproductive health and physical readiness - aka it shouldn't be.
On its way, the process of revising the Marriage Law which has been carried out since 2014 has not gone smoothly. There are many different views regarding 'adulthood'. Initially, the submission of a revised minimum age for marriage was 20 years for women and 22 years for men. However, this formula was opposed by a number of factions in the DPR. They rated this figure too high.
From the theological point of view, the formula for the maturity of marriage also creates confusion. Each religion has its own views. Some point to 15 as the ideal age. There are also those who state the range between 16 and 20 years of age as the maturity of marriage. Others are assumed to have reached adulthood and deserve to be married if they are menstruating or have wet dreams.
Finally, the DPR tapped the hammer, setting the number 19 as the ideal age. At that age, humans are assumed to have mental and mental maturity. At least to determine what is good and bad. But, of course. Marriage is much more complex than good and bad or black and white. We contacted a number of experts to weigh the accuracy of the provisions of the Marriage Law and the 19 year number contained in it.
Considering the number 19
From a psychological perspective, humans at the age of 19 naturally still need a process of finding their identity. Even burdening them with the responsibilities of marriage is actually very hard to bear. At that age, humans still need a process to live life with responsibility for themselves.
"If he is too young, where his development tasks are still looking for self-identity, what I want to be like, how do I want to have a career, still busy again, adding more roles later after marriage makes him dizzy. Until he feels I can't adapt," said Rose. Mini, contacted by VOI, some time ago.
In terms of physical readiness and reproductive health, the number 19 years seems even more absurd. Head of the Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) Hasto Wardoyo firmly stated that the formula set by the Marriage Law was not ideal. According to Hasto, the institution itself points to 21 as the minimum age for marriage.
This figure is obtained through research in various parts of the world. The research shows that ages 20 to 35 are the ideal time for a woman to reproduce. "Meanwhile, BKKBN is taking a 21-year promotion. Because if the promotion is 21 years old, if it fails, it's 20 years. Because according to research, healthy reproduction (that's) is 20 to 35 years. Because after that (35 years) is not good," Hasto said to VOI by telephone, Thursday, December 19.
Early marriage is also closely related to maternal and infant mortality rates. Even for the health of the baby. In fact, stunting or growth disorders in babies is very dependent on the readiness of the mother to conceive. Indonesia itself is a country with the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in Southeast Asia. Even though it has decreased to 305 cases in 2019, Indonesia's position has not been shifted.
"If many mothers die, their babies are not taken care of. You can imagine, how many babies are neglected and cannot get ASI from their mothers in Indonesia. Because when their mothers die, who do they want to breastfeed from. That's intertwined. wanting to improve the quality of human resources starts with the product and reproduction, "explained Hasto.
Furthermore, Hasto explained the risks that can be experienced by a woman and a baby who is conceived at a very young age. At the age of 20, a woman's pelvis has not reached 10 cm in diameter. While the baby's head measures 9.8 or 9.9 cm. So, if you are pregnant at the age of 16, the baby's head does not pass enough through the pelvis and causes deformity of the head. An ill-fitting pelvis also increases the risk of an asfected labor.
"It's a pity for so many women who wither before they develop, he said. She should be a superior seed, give birth to a superior child, but in the middle of the road she has to get married, marry, and get pregnant. Eventually she herself becomes a seed that is not superior and gives birth to seeds. who are not superior, "said Hasto.
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