Child Brides Seek Justice In Constitutional Court

On Kartini Day, a day focusing on empowering women, three Indonesian women filed a suit demanding a judicial review of a law regarding child marriage. Using the momentum behind today's holiday, they submitted a review request that was originally denied by the Constitutional Court two years ago.

Endang Warsinah, Maryati, and Rasminah are victims of child marriage, and are represented by attorney Dian Kartika from Koalisi 18+, a group advocating a ban on child marriage and forced marriage in Indonesia. They demanded a judicial review of Law no.1/1974, which states that a child as young as 16 years old is considered legal to wed.

"These three women have experienced and become the victims of child marriage They want the law changed so their children will not have to experience the same thing," said attorney Dian Kartika.

Each woman was forced into child marriage in order to escape crippling poverty. Endang Warsinah from Indramayu was married at the age of 14 with a 33 year-old man. Rasinah first married at 13 and has since married three more times.

"It's different from our 2014 demand. This time it's based on the lived experience of victims of child marriage," said Dian.

In Indonesia, some parents chose to marry off their daughters in order to ease financial burdens. Women who marry too young usually have no opportunity for an education. Child marriage is rarely seen in Indonesia's big cities, but it's a reality in other smaller parts of the country. A study found that 91 percent of women who marry under 18 years old did not continue their education.

In 2014, Koalisi 18+ demanded a judicial review of child marriage, but the demand was not granted by the Constitutional Court. The court argued that there even if the minimum age for marriage was raised from 16 to 18 years old, there is no guarantee the new law would solve health and social issues faced by child brides.