Seeking to tackle divorce, domestic violence and child marriage, officials in Indonesia may soon force brides and grooms into the classroom.
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.Just weeks out from their wedding, Jakarta couple Maya and Aji are deep in planning mode for the big day.
“If it is possible, we encourage the course to be taken by both together in the same place because the role-playing method is designed for two people. However, if they live in a separate area or even in a separate city, they can still follow the pre-marriage course in their own place alone. “Could you imagine that the bride and groom already sitting in front of the official from the marriage affairs office, it’s a sacred moment, do you think they will listen to the advice given by the official?” Suripto said.
“We carried out a study of why families are vulnerable to divorce and to domestic violence what are the causes of child marriage,” Suripto said. “It turned out that there is a lack of sufficient knowledge on the side of the brides and grooms of what a marriage is.“What prompted them to go into a marriage is merely instinct-driven, biological needs, or believe they are financially sufficient for supporting themselves and their wives.
“When the groom gives dowry and provides everything every month they feel they are entitled to receive service from their wives. The groom’s perspective once they are married is wanting to be served. And the bride’s perspective is to serve the groom,” Suripto said.“So, in this pre-marriage course we design a case that husband and wife have an equal and dignified relation. We hope that the course can contribute to the decrease in family related cases in Indonesia.