Early marriage is one of the crucial issues still faced by communities in various regions, especially in rural areas, where tradition, social pressure, and limited access to education are the main factors. In recent years, early marriage has become an increasingly discussed topic, including in Batang Regency. Often seen as a solution to economic or social problems, early marriage has the potential to create new and more complex problems. Data shows that marriage at very young age can lead to various problems, both in terms of reproductive health, economics, and psychology issues.

According to data from the Batang Regency Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), in 2023 there were around 17% or 283 cases of couples applied for child marriage dispensations out of the total marriages that occurred. This raises concerns about the negative impacts of early marriage, such as school dropouts, reproductive health issues, economic and psychological challenges. This condition is in line with the provisions in Article 7 paragraph (1) of Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 16 of 2019 concerning Amendments to the Marriage Law, which sets a minimum age limit for marriage to protect children’s rights and prevent the negative impacts caused by early marriage. So that a preventive effort is needed to deal with the issue of early marriage.

The importance of education about the dangers of early marriage encouraged the students of KKN Team II Diponegoro University Year 2023/2024, to implement a multidisciplinary program with the theme ‘Education on Early Marriage Prevention’. This educational activity was held at Al-Ikhlas Junior High School, Tegalsari Village, Kandeman District, Batang Regency on 27 July 2024. The program targeted all students of Al-Ikhlas Junior High School and collaborates with the Kandeman District health centre to conduct health checks and distributing blood supplement tablets.

Material Prsentation and health checks at Al-Ikhlas Junior High School, Tegalsari Village

This program aimed to raise awareness among students about the negative impact of early marriage and the importance of delaying marriage until a more mature age. This activity involved material delivery, discussion, and question and answer sessions, which are expected to provide students with a better understanding of the risks of early marriage and how to avoid it. The educational materials were delivered by KKN students from various departments, who had been equipped with knowledge and information related to early marriage during KKN preparation. The presentation was divided into several sessions, including the definition and law of early marriage, the driving factors of early marriage, the impact of early marriage on health, the psychological aspects of early marriage, as well as prevention methods and alternative solutions. After the material was presented, the discussion and Q&A sessions were held with great enthusiasm. The students raised various questions and shared experiences related to early marriage issues in their surroundings. The KKN students answered these questions clearly and provided practical advice for the students. The educational activity concluded with health checks and the distribution of blood suplement tablets from the Kandeman District Health Center, assisted by the KKN students.

With the conclusion of this educational and health check activity, the KKN students from Diponegoro University hope that the students of Al-Ikhlas Junior High School in Tegalsari Village will better understand the risks and impacts of early marriage. They also hope that the education provided not only imparts new knowledge but also forms a critical thinking among teenagers about the importance of prioritizing education and health before entering married life. Furthermore, the KKN students hope that this activity can raise broader awareness within the school and the Tegalsari Village community about the importance of marrying at a mature age. With the support of the school, the health center, and the village government, they are optimistic that the early marriage rate in Tegalsari Village, Kandeman District, Batang Regency, can be significantly reduced.

Writer: Sofia Kurniawati, Undergraduate in Government Science 2021, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences
Supervising Lecturer: Zani Anjani Rafsanjani HSM. S.Si., M.Sc.
KKN Location: Tegalsari Village, Kandeman District, Batang Regency