Granted Dispensations for Child Marriage in Indonesia Decreased in 2024

Data from the Indonesian Religious Courts Agency (Badilag) shows a downward trend in the number of marriage dispensations granted in Indonesia. This is as stated in the 2024 Annual Report of the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan).

In 2020, the number of granted dispensations for child marriage reached 64,211 applications. This decreased to 52,338 applications in 2022 and further decreased to 32,706 applications in 2024.

"In 2024, the decrease was 21.85% from the previous year," stated Komnas Perempuan in its 2024 Annual Report.

According to Supreme Court Regulation Number 5 of 2019 concerning Guidelines for Adjudicating Applications for Marriage Dispensations, a marriage dispensation is the granting of permission to marry by the court to prospective husbands/wives under the age of 19.

A decrease in the number of granted marriage dispensations indicates a decrease in the number of child marriages.

According to Komnas Perempuan, this decrease, on the one hand, shows the effectiveness of policies or the Minister of Religious Affairs Regulation (PMA) Number 19 of 2018 concerning Marriage Registration.

Furthermore, it reflects the implementation of Law Number 19 of 2019 concerning Marriage, which changed the minimum marriage age from 16 to 19 years for both men and women.

"Programs to stop child marriage from various parties are believed to have contributed to the decrease in the number of marriage dispensations," said Komnas Perempuan.

However, Komnas Perempuan notes that dispensations may be issued due to urgent reasons as stipulated in Supreme Court Regulation Number 5. Urgent reasons are suspected to be related to teenage pregnancies, requiring immediate marriage.

"Regardless of the continuous decrease in the number of marriage dispensations, it does not mean that child marriage is not occurring. Because in the dispensation process, families may decide to proceed with a religious or customary marriage first," said Komnas Perempuan.