In an effort to strengthen public understanding of women's and children's rights after divorce, the Student Legal Counseling Team in collaboration with the Legal Consultation and Aid Center (PKBH) of the Faculty of Law, Gadjah Mada University (UGM) has successfully held a legal counseling session with the theme "Resilient and Just Villages: Fulfilling the Rights of Women and Children After Divorce", Wednesday (18/9/2024). This activity took place at Kapanewon Depok located at Colombo Complex No. 50 A, Papringan, Caturtunggal, Depok, Slemandan and was attended by more than 30 participants from various local communities.
This event aims to provide knowledge and practical solutions regarding legal protection for women and children vulnerable to post-divorce injustice. This outreach also aims to encourage the development of resilient and equitable villages, with a focus on the well-being of women and children, who are often marginalized in divorce cases.
The legal counseling session was attended by the Head of Depok Sub-district, Wawan Widiantoro, S.Sos., the UGM Faculty of Law Legal Counseling Team, Family Hope Program (PKH) Companions, and staff and employees of Depok Sub-district. The event was hosted by Salpiatul Jannah and Danang Rizky Fadhilla from the UGM Faculty of Law Legal Counseling Team as MC.
The Head of the Depok Sub-district, Wawan Widiantoro, hopes the public will better understand the rights of women and children, which are often unmet after divorce. "These include child custody, alimony, and protection from violence. The public must be responsive and proactive in supporting just and equal law enforcement," Wawan said in his remarks.
This outreach initiative aligns with SDG 5, which aims to ensure gender equality and empower women and girls. It also supports SDG 16 by strengthening access to justice for all and building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.
Furthermore, the high divorce rate in Sleman Regency is caused by differences of opinion or thought. According to data on the Sleman Religious Court website, of the 1,191 divorce cases filed with the Sleman Religious Court in 2023, 911 were due to ongoing disputes and arguments. More specifically, the distribution of the sub-districts (kapanewon) of origin of the parties in divorce cases in Sleman Regency is as follows:
Based on these data, it is clear that in Sleman Regency, particularly in the Depok Sub-district, the divorce rate is quite high. Both women and children are often vulnerable groups in defending their rights and obtaining justice, as stipulated in Law Number 39 of 1999 concerning Human Rights, which states that they are included in vulnerable groups along with the elderly, the poor, pregnant women, and the disabled. In the family context, women and children often occupy a less advantageous position than men, which often causes women to file for divorce due to experiencing various forms of domestic violence by their husbands, including physical, psychological, verbal, sexual, and economic violence. This is what then prompted the Religious Chamber to pay more attention to fulfilling children's rights after divorce related to the right to custody and support.
Anantya Aliyya Arkanbariq, S.H. and Reshandi Ade Zain, S.H.I. as a resource person as a representative of Master of Law students and also with experience in handling family cases, emphasized the importance of understanding the legal rights of women and children, as well as the procedures that must be followed to ensure justice is upheld. Apart from that, the resource person also provided practical guidance regarding the process of obtaining child custody, alimony, and how to obtain their rights after divorce.
The event also included a discussion and Q&A session on divorce and other family law issues. Some of the issues raised included the right to child support, which has never been provided by a former husband until the child is an adult, and post-divorce custody arrangements.
This legal education program is expected to be the first step toward establishing a resilient, just, and responsive village community that protects the rights of women and children, particularly in the context of divorce. This increased legal awareness is expected to strengthen the community's role in supporting gender justice and child welfare.
Writer: Salpiatul Jannah, Danang Rizky (Penerima Hibah Penyuluhan Hukum Mahasiswa)
Editor: PR
