Unpacking the Discourse of Child Marriage in Indonesia

A Decolonial Perspective

Bibliographic Data

ID7149555
AuthorsVina Adriany (0000-0001-8457-4885, School of Postgraduate Studies Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia & SEAMEO CECCEP Bandung Indonesia, corresponding author), Nelis Nazziatus Sadiah Qosyasih (0000-0002-6280-1239, Department of Early Childhood Education Universitas Muhammadiyah Prof. Dr. Hamka Jakarta Indonesia), Elly Malihah (0000-0001-5039-8174, Faculty of Social Science Education Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia Bandung Indonesia)
Year2026
Volume40
Issue1
Pages89-98
Publication date2026-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueChildren & Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0951-0605 • E-ISSN: 1099-0860
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/chso.13013
OpenAlexW4415219288
LanguageEN
References cited52

This article unpacks the notion of child marriage by exploring the meaning of coercion, sexuality, and agency. In many countries in the Global South, such as Indonesia, child marriage attracts attention from international agencies. The paradigm adopted positions girls as victims and sites for intervention. The research was conducted in a small village in Indonesia. Six people aged 17 to 35 years participated in this study. All of them were married before they turned 18. Two of them are male and four are female. Using feminist post‐structural and decolonial theories, the findings show how children’s choices to get married early are always situated within their agency and constrained by social factors such as poverty, low access to education, and religion. Therefore, the study invites policymakers and international donor organisations to go beyond the neoliberal understanding in their attempt to halt child marriage

Feminism · Situated · Unpacking · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Asian Studies and History · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare

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