Empowering Women Leadership Through Community Mobilization to Prevent Early Marriage
Abstract
This qualitative research study explored the impact of early marriages on women in Malang Regency and examined strategies for preventing such marriages by empowering women. Utilizing data collected through Focus Group Discussions (FGD), the research investigated the complex web of social, economic, and generational consequences resulting from child marriages in rural areas. The study highlights the significant role played by Women’s Leadership Houses (RKP) in the Singosari and Karangploso regions, where community mobilization is employed to foster gender equality and empower women. RKP’s community engagement approach allows members to dissect the underlying factors driving early marriages and adolescent interactions within their communities. The research uncovered a diverse range of issues associated with early unions, each uniquely shaped by the local environment. RKP’s methodology places a strong emphasis on problem identification and potential recognition, encompassing human and natural resources while challenging prevailing social norms that perpetuate early marriages. In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of empowering women and promoting gender equality as key strategies in preventing early marriages. Through qualitative research methods and community engagement via FGDs, we can aspire to create a future where early marriages become a historical relic and women attain the agency and opportunities they rightfully deserve.
Keywords: Early Marriage; Women Empowerment; Community Mobi-lization; Gender Equality
References
[1] Badan Pusat Statistik. Pencegahan Perkawinan Anak Percepatan yang Tidak Bisa Ditunda. Badan Pusat Statistik; 2020.
[2] Ramadhan A. Kementerian PPPA: 11.952 Kasus Kekerasan terhadap Anak Terjadi Sepanjang 2021, Mayoritasnya Kekerasan Seksual. 2022.Available from: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2022/03/24/15034051/kementerian-pppa- 11952-kasus-kekerasan-terhadap-anak-terjadi-sepanjang-2021
[3] Indonesia CN. Persoalan di Balik Tingginya Angka Perkawinan Anak Indonesia. 2018. Available from: https://www.cnnindonesia.com/gaya-hidup/20180425133623- 282-293415/persoalan-di-balik-tingginya-angka-perkawinan-anak-indonesia
[4] Mahfudin A, Waqi’ah K. Pernikahan Dini dan Pengaruhnya terhadap Keluarga di Kabupaten Sumenep Jawa Timur. Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Islam. 2016;1(1).
[5] Supriyatno H. Penyebab Ekonomi, Status Janda di Kabupaten Malang Terus Meningkat. Bhirawa Online [Internet]. 2021. Available from: https://www.harianbhirawa.co.id/penyebab-ekonomi-status-janda-di-kabupaten- malang-terus-meningkat/
[6] Judiasih SD, Rubiati B, Yuanitasari D, Salim EF, Safira L. Efforts to Eradicate Child Marriage Practices in Indonesia: Towards Sustainable Development Goals. 2020;21(6).
[7] Montazeri S, Gharacheh M, Mohammadi N, Alaghband Rad J, Eftekhar Ardabili H. Determinants of Early Marriage from Married Girls’ Perspectives in Iranian Setting: A Qualitative Study. J Environ Public Health. 2016;2016:8615929.
[8] Tilaar NR. Education Policy. “An Introduction to Understand Education Policy as a Public Policy”. Yogyakarta: Pustaka Belajar; 2012. 156 pp.
[9] Fawcett SB, Vincent T. Francisco, Schultz JA, Bill Berkowitz, Thomas J. Wolff, Genevieve Nagy. The Community Tool Box: A Web-Based Resource for Building Healthier Communities. Public Health Reports (1974-). 2000;115(2/3):274–8.
[10] Djamba YK, Neuman WL. Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Teach Sociol. 2002 Jul;30(3):380.
[11] Stewart D, Shamdasani P, Rook D. Focus Groups [Internet]. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks California 91320 United States of America: SAGE Publications, Ltd.; 2007 [cited 2023 Sep 21]. Available from: https://methods.sagepub.com/book/focus- groups
[12] Britten N. Qualitative interviews in medical research. BMJ. 1995 Jul;311(6999):251–3.
[13] Creswell JW, Creswell JD. Research design: qualitative, and mixed methods approaches. 5th ed. Los Angeles (CA): Sage Publications; 2018. 275 pp.[international student edition].
[14] Jensen R, Thornton R. Rebecca Thornton. Early Female Marriage in the Developing World. Gend Dev. 2003;11(2):9–19.
[15] Delprato M, Akyeampong K, Dunne M. Intergenerational Education Effects of Early Marriage in Sub-Saharan Africa. World Dev. 2017 Mar;91:173–92.
[16] Singh A, Kumar A, Pranjali P. Utilization of maternal healthcare among adolescent mothers in urban India: evidence from DLHS-3. PeerJ. 2014 Nov;2:e592.
[17] Ogato S. The quest for gender equality and womens empowerment in least developed countries: policy and strategy implications for achieving millennium development goals in Ethiopia. Int J Sociol Anthropol. 2013 Dec;5(9):358–72.
[18] Putnam RD. Bowling alone: the collapse and revival of American community. 1. Touchstone ed. London: Simon & Schuster; 2001. 541 p.
[19] Wodon Q, Male C, Nayihouba A, Onagoruwa AS, Yedan A, Edmeades J, et al. ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF CHILD MARRIAGE: GLOBAL SYNTHESIS BRIEF. The World Bank and International Center for Research on Women. 2017.
[20] Kalamar AM, Lee-Rife S, Hindin MJ. Interventions to Prevent Child Marriage Among Young People in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review of the Published and Gray Literature. J Adolesc Health. 2016 Sep;59(3 Suppl):S16–21.
[21] Brown G. Out of wedlock, into school: combating child marriage through education. The Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown; 2012.
[22] Wodon Q, Nguyen MC, Yedan A, Edmeades J. Economic Impacts of Child Marriage: Educational Attainment. The World Bank and International Center for Research on Women; 2017.
[23] Horton S, Steckel RH. Malnutrition: Global Economic Losses Attributable to Malnutrition 1900–2000 and Projections to 2050. In: Lomborg B, editor. How Much have Global Problems Cost the World? [Internet]1st ed. Cambridge University Press; 2013. pp. 247–72. [ [cited 2024 Feb 15]], Available from https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/CBO9781139225793A018/type/book_par
[24] Degarege D, Degarege A, Animut A. Undernutrition and associated risk factors among school age children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. BMC Public Health. 2015 Apr;15(1):375.
[25] Fall CH, Sachdev HS, Osmond C, Restrepo-Mendez MC, Victora C, Martorell R, et al.; COHORTS investigators. Association between maternal age at childbirth and child and adult outcomes in the offspring: a prospective study in five low-income and middle-income countries (COHORTS collaboration). Lancet Glob Health. 2015 Jul;3(7):e366–77.
[26] Raj A, Boehmer U. Girl child marriage and its association with national rates of HIV, maternal health, and infant mortality across 97 countries. Violence Against Women. 2013 Apr;19(4):536–51.
[27] Raj A, McDougal L, Rusch ML. Effects of young maternal age and short interpregnancy interval on infant mortality in South Asia. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2014 Jan;124(1):86–7.
[28] Sawant LD, Venkat S. Comparative Analysis of Normal versus Fetal Growth Restriction in Pregnancy: The Significance of Maternal Body Mass Index, Nutritional Status, Anemia, and Ultrasonography Screening. Int J Reprod Med. 2013;2013:671954.
[29] Strauss J, Thomas D. Health, Nutrition, and Economic Development. J Econ Lit. 1998;36(2):766–817.
[30] Wodon Q. Early Childhood Development in the Context of the Family: The Case of Child Marriage. J Human Dev Capabil. 2016 Oct;17(4):590–8.
[31] Parsons J, Edmeades J, Kes A, Petroni S, Sexton M, Wodon Q. Economic Impacts of Child Marriage: A Review of the Literature. Rev Faith Int Aff. 2015 Jul;13(3):12–22.
[32] Klugman J, Hanmer L. Voice and Agency: Empowering Women and Girls for Shared Prosperity. World Bank Group; 2014. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-0359-8.
[33] Dada S, Tunçalp Ö, Portela A, Barreix M, Gilmore B. Community mobilization to strengthen support for appropriate and timely use of antenatal and postnatal care: A review of reviews. J Glob Health. 2021 Dec;11:04076.