Prevalence of and factors associated with female child marriage in Indonesia

Statistics from the 2018 National Social and Economic Survey revealed that one out of nine young females in Indonesia have been in female child marriage, and the prevalence remains high. Considering the serious consequences of female child marriage and that Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality has targeted the elimination of female child marriage by 2030, a study concerning the prevalence and determinants of female child marriage needs to be conducted in Indonesia. In this paper, we examined the prevalence of and factors associated with female child marriage in Indonesia using binary logistic regression. We examined data from the Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2017. A sample of 9,333 young females aged 15-20 years was included in the study. Our analysis involved descriptive and binary logistic regression analysis. The results are presented in percentages and odds ratios (OR), with their respective confidence intervals. Our findings indicate that health insurance and sex of household head did not significantly influence female child marriage. The prevalence of female child marriage in Indonesia was quite high, reaching about 12.53%. Females with no education OR = 76.448; (CI = 29.73-196.70), not working OR = 1.662; (CI = 1.41-1.94), those with the poorest wealth index OR = 3.215; (CI = 2.336-4.425), those living in the east of Indonesia OR = 1.451; (CI = 1.132-1.862), and those living in rural areas OR = 0.718; (CI = 0.609-0.844) had the higher odds of experiencing female child marriage. Meanwhile, females with a secondary education level OR = 16.296; (CI = 11.098-23.930), those with a rich wealth index OR = 1.940; (CI = 1.404-2.681), and those living in the middle of Indonesia OR = 1.263; (CI = 1.074-1.487) were less likely to experience female child marriage. Educational background was the most significant factor influencing the high prevalence of female child marriage in Indonesia. Female empowerment through education as well as poverty alleviation were factors that could be strengthened to ensure that female child marriage is reduced or eliminated in Indonesia. Equality of access to information and better quality of education also need to be prioritized.