A Social Standardization: The Minimum Age to Get Married

Marriage life is not just about romance as people know. Marriage is often seen as a beautiful event. Glittering knick-knacks, gorgeous wedding dresses, and a romantic reception setting. But if we think further, a wedding is not just about a reception. Marriage is a life journey which is actually not easy. The reception is not a happy ending as told in fairy tales and fiction. Over time, problems will arise. Therefore, a lot of consideration is needed before the wedding is held. One of them is the standardization of the minimum age for a person to legally marry. What age should man and woman marry? There is no such thing as perfect age for man and woman to get married. However, countries and international organizations usually have a minimum age for marriage.

Marriageable age (or marriage age) is the general age as a right or the minimum age subject to parental, judicial, or other forms of approval at which a person is allowed by law to marry. Based on United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) research result, regards of a minor (legal child), a person below the age of 18, as a child marriage and a violation of human rights. That means UNICEF said the marriageable age is 18 or above. Because the writer has Indonesian citizenship, the writer will mention some of the laws in Indonesia which pertain to the minimum age a person can legally marry. Based on Undang-Undang No 16 tahun 2019, the minimum limit of someone’s age to legally marry is 19 years old. Based on Undang-Undang Perlindungan Anak or Child Protection Laws, children are those who are under 18 years old. Also, based on the institution of National Population and Family Planning Agencies, or known as Badan Kependudukan dan Keluarga Berencana Nasional (BKKBN), the ideal marriageable age is 21 years old for women and 25 years old for men, in terms of biological side. BKKBN was considering health aspects, that is women under 19 years old have a high risk of cervical cancer.

No need to raise the marriageable age to 30 for both man and woman. Lots of countries believe that men and women who are 18 years old and above are already in the state of stable mental. They could make rational decisions and control themselves well. The age of 18 years old is also the year when a citizen of a country get recognized as an adult, who no longer need assistance from a guardian or parents and could represent themselves. 

However, this does not mean someone who thought that themselves already could think critically and rationally at such a young age, and can get married before the minimum limit of marriageable age. It is a fact and well-known in psychology, that teenagers still have unstable level of mental. They tend to make decisions in a fast time without bothering to take more time, interested just in things that are viral, cool, fun, and easy to do. Teens thought that they know what is best for them, but regret everything they did after. Also, teens tend to experience brief romances. Thinking what they have is true love or strong love, but it is actually just a fling feeling instead.

If someone is ready at many aspects that are required to form a family, then she or he is allowed to get married. No need to wait until 30, because the reproductive age could be missed. Someone can get married as soon as they are at the minimum limit of marriageable age, or simply when they want to get married even after the age of 30 years old. It is truly up to individual choices when to get married, after they fulfill the requirements. 

(From my writing results at PL Van Lith SHS English Club, November 9th 2020, with the topic "The Youngest Age to Get Married Should Be Raised to 30 For Both Men and Women")