Pushing Forward Social Transformation Against Gender Based Harmful Traditional Practice of Bride Abduction

Day 2 3pm 2 hours Indonesian, English

Better strategies are required to progress against the persisting harmful traditional practices against women and girls. Forced marriage, child marriage, female genital mutilation/cutting, are some of the examples with detrimental impacts against women human rights, including their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Over the past four decades after the signing of CEDAW, progress in this issue has been very slow, despite firmer criminal law and promotion of gender equality in various sectors. Lack of capacity and resources, poor coordination between stakeholders, and other power dynamics related to social, economic and political status are some challenges often mentioned as the hindrance to the progress. Even more so when it is practiced in remote areas, mostly rural settings, with a strong patriarchic and feudal system, supported with religious and/or cultural justifications.

Hence, there is an urgent need to explore and reflect on our present works regarding this issue, how they are built on or build in our understanding of feminist frameworks, and how we should move forward to expedite our progress.