Child Marriage Has Become a Culture?

If you have a mate, humans cannot avoid it, especially if you like each other. Just live because life has been like that for a long time. This is what Oshin (28), a Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) volunteer in Kinovaro District, Sigi Regency thinks.

Child marriage is a common thing in the environment where Oshin lives, it can even be said that child marriage has become a culture because it has been done for a long time. Oshin is also one who married at an early age.

“We consider that the standard is already like that. Especially if the children already like each other, nothing can hinder it other than being approved. It is not uncommon for parents to encourage their children to get married when they reach their teens. Until now, some children who are still in school have been tied up (betrothed) by other families to become their daughters-in-law,” she said on the sidelines of the WVI Sipado Program Area volunteer meeting.

Oshin admitted that at first, she did not feel that child marriage was a problem, but after receiving the socialization of the impact of child marriage by WVI, Oshin understood that child marriage could have fatal consequences for both the mother and the child being born.

“I just realized that it has something to do with reproductive health, the health of young mothers and their future children. It has a psychological impact on children who marry early. When there was a more detailed explanation from WVI, I just realized that mental unpreparedness for marriage is the reason why many young couples are separated or divorced and some even experience Domestic Violence (KDRT),” she continued.

According to Oshin, child marriage must be prevented. Now, most of the youth in the neighborhood are aware of the effects of child marriage. She also hopes that the children can continue their education to a higher level and achieve their dreams before they get married. The children were encouraged to say “Please take me to school, not the aisle” to their parents after the socialization activity ended.

“I hope that socialization can also be carried out to all parents so that more people understand and child marriage can be prevented by all lines of society, including my two daughters. Start from me! Thank you WVI," she concluded.

Written by: Vinna Mangeni, Facilitator for Kinovaro District of Sigi Regency