Global Initiatives for The Prevention of Child Marriage: A Case Study of Girls Not Brides in Indonesia

Abstract

Child marriage remains a pressing human rights violation in many regions of  Indonesia. According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS, 2024), 5.9% of Indonesian  women aged 20–24 were married before turning 18. This practice has wide-ranging  consequences, particularly for girls, as it restricts access to education, heightens  reproductive health risks, increases exposure to domestic violence, and sustains  intergenerational poverty. Although the Indonesian government revised Marriage  Law No. 1 of 1974 through Law No. 16 of 2019 to raise the legal minimum marriage  age to 19, implementation continues to face serious socio-cultural and structural  barriers, including deeply rooted social norms and persistent poverty. This study  examines the strategies and effectiveness of global initiatives promoted by Girls Not  Brides (GNB) in supporting child marriage prevention in Indonesia. Employing a  literature review method, the research synthesizes evidence from scholarly  publications, reports by international organizations, and documents from civil society  groups. The findings demonstrate that GNB advances interventions through  community-based engagement, comprehensive sexuality education, policy advocacy,  and active youth participation as change agents. The effectiveness of these strategies  depends on strong partnerships between global and local organizations, sensitivity to  cultural values, and active involvement of government and community leaders. Based  on the analysis, the study recommends reinforcing the integration of normative  approaches that focus on reshaping cultural and social attitudes with structural  approaches that strengthen legal frameworks and address economic inequalities.  Such integration is essential to developing child marriage prevention policies in  Indonesia that are sustainable, inclusive, and culturally responsive.