Female Islamic clerics declare rare fatwa against child marriage

Female scholars of Islam have decreed that child marriage should be banned after a rare congress held in Indonesia.

Dozens of women from the Muslim-majority country as well as scholars from Saudi Arabia, India and Pakistan gathered for what is believed to be the first major meeting of female clerics in Cirebon, Java, issuing a raft of religious decrees on Thursday after three days of discussions.

Among the most important was a fatwa calling on the government to raise the age of marriage for girls from 16 to 18.

One in four Indonesian women are married before the age of 18, Unicef data says. The cleric cited studies which show child brides are not allowed to continue studying and half of the marriages end in divorce as reasons for their decision.

“Female clerics know the issues and obstacles women face, we can take action and do not just wait for the government to protect these children,” Ninik Rahayu, the conference organiser, told Reuters.

Fatwas are not legally binding in Indonesia, but the ruling is expected to be influential upon political representatives.

They are usually issued by the highest religious authority, the Ulema Council, which is mostly adjudicated by men.

Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, Indonesia’s Religious Affairs Minister, attended this week’s meeting, and said he would take the women’s recommendations to the government.

“This congress succeeded in fighting for justice in the relationship between men and women,” he said.

Other rulings addressed sexual abuse and environmental destruction - another major issue in the rainforested country.

Around 90 per cent of Indonesia’s 255 million population is Muslim, making it the most populous Muslim country in the world.