Haeril Halim, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo received United Nations' Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children Marta Santos Pais and delegations of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund to discuss various issues pertaining to children at the State Palace on Monday.

One of the topic's discussed during the meeting was the child marriage rate, which Pais claimed was still high in Indonesia, adding that 25 percent of girls in the country got married before the age of 18.She said getting married at a young age would result in increasing mortality rates in Indonesia when young girls gave birth. "The health of [young] mothers is affected and they may even die. The babies will also be at risk," Pais said.

Pais said girls who married would unlikely be given the chance to go back to school. "The girls' potential is undermined and the potential of the nation is also compromised," she added.

Despite the high child marriage rate, Pais said Indonesian in general had expressed its commitment to place children at the heart of its global sustainable development agenda to create a world free from violence against children.

"We were very encouraged by the important reaffirmation of commitment by [President Jokowi] to these goals and we are very encouraged by the opportunity that Indonesia can act as a good example and model toward the countries within Asia and globally," she said. (evi)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/02/27/un-discusses-child-marriage-with-jokowi-at-palace.html