Sitting on the porch in her home on the outskirts of West Java, Indonesia, Rasminah looks through her wedding album. She recalls the day clearly. At just 13 years old, her parents married her off to a man twice her age. As a child, she couldn't refuse as her parents strongly insisted on the marriage.
"We were very poor and my parents said they couldn't afford to keep me and my siblings anymore. So they forced me to marry this man they knew from the neighborhood. He was 27 years old," said Rasminah.
That marriage fell apart two years after their wedding day. One day, her husband never returned from work, leaving Rasminah to fend for herself and her two-year-old son.
That incident left her abandoned and confused, forcing her to move back to her parents' home. Not long after, her parents married her off again due to economic factors. She would go on to marry another two times, but those didn't last either.
Today, she's onto her fourth marriage and taking care of her fifth child. "I am much happier now. My husband is willing to take care of me and all of my children. He is very caring, kind and understanding. He loves us," said Rasminah.
Rasminah was 13 years old when her parents married her off to a man more than twice her age. /CGTN Photo
Unfortunately, Rasminah's story is all too common in Indonesia. Statistics show one out of nine girls marry before their 18th birthday, putting Indonesia in the top ten countries with the highest number of child brides.
That number is influenced by a number of factors, ranging from educational, economic, sociocultural, to religious issues.
Many parents feel that marrying their children off at an early age eases their economic burden. But according to Indonesian Women Coalition, if the marriage fails, it ends up being a bigger issue for the family, especially when babies are involved.
Darwinih has been supporting Rasminah for years. As a member of the Indonesian Women Coalition, her team has been working to encourage the Indonesian government to ban child marriages.
That was proved to be a success when the parliament recently raised the minimum marriage age to 19 years old, but Darwinih says "the work is just beginning."
Darwinih (R) has been campaigning to stop child marriages on behalf of Indonesia's Women Coalition. /CGTN Photo
"We would have liked the parliament to at least raise the minimum age to 21 years old, but 19 is a good start. The problem is not over. The lack of education in rural areas is still causing many people to marry their children off," said Darwinih.
She believes if the parents prioritize education and the children's career prospects, they wouldn't think of marriage. For those who were forced to marry at such a young age, Darwinih says the effects are long-term.
"Child brides go through major long-term trauma. When parents force their children out of schools to get married, they will have deep regrets. They feel incompetent. For boys, they feel like they are burdened to work and provide for a family. For girls, it is not healthy for them to get pregnant at such a young age; it heavily affects their reproductive system," said Darwinih.
Darwinih hopes the government can start by raising awareness on the outskirts of Indonesia. To slowly change the mindset of young children and their parents, and most importantly, to educate young girls on the importance of gender equality and understanding their reproductive rights.
The cooperation needs to happen at multiple levels. In most cases, it starts right at home and branches out to communities and religious scholars as well as schools and health institutions.