Creating Second Chances for Girls Facing Challenges in Central Java

At age 14, Fiona* had her sights set on excelling in her final high school exams. But just three days before the big test, her life unraveled. A private video of Fiona and her boyfriend went viral, sweeping through her community in Rembang district, Central Java. Overnight, she went from a promising student to a target of shame.

The families of both teenagers faced immense community pressure to marry them. Considered a negative influence, Fiona was expelled from school. Despite desperately wishing to continue her education, Fiona’s family began preparing her for marriage.

It seemed like Fiona’s fate was sealed, until the Family Learning Center (Puspaga), a district service unit under the supervision of the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, learned of her situation and consulted with UNICEF. Through a collaborative effort, the marriage was prevented, and Fiona enrolled in a new school.

Fiona’s mother remembers the heavy burden she carried as her daughter’s prospects of being educated seemed to slip away. "If she hadn't received help, Fiona wouldn't be going to school anymore,” she reflects. “My husband and I can't imagine what her future would be like.”

While national rates of child marriage have declined steadily in Indonesia over the last decade, prevalence remains high in some provinces. In Rembang, child marriages rose from 131 cases in 2019 to 359 in 2021, according to the Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda).

Child marriage not only robs girls of their education but also their future potential. In Indonesia, girls who marry before the age of 18 are four times less likely to finish senior high school compared to those who marry after 18.

UNICEF is working closely with local governments in Rembang to provide holistic support for adolescents like Fiona who face major challenges that threaten to derail their future. Through coordinated efforts, girls are being identified to receive various services they need to transition safely to adulthood.

Step-by-step guidelines have been developed to outline how different groups – from teachers and community facilitators to psychologists at Puspaga and social workers – should work together to address a range of issues that affect girls, including preventing child marriage, addressing health concerns and making sure that girls have access to safe toilets at school. These guidelines make it easier to identify at-risk girls and provide help early.

Together, UNICEF and local governments are also investing in the future of adolescent girls by equipping them with essential skills. UNICEF supports the training of teachers and the development of teaching modules for Islamic boarding schools, madrasahs and non-formal education institutions that go beyond traditional subjects. 

Girls are taught how to protect themselves from violence and child marriage and to debunk myths about menstruation. These life skills – combined with vital 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, communication, teamwork and problem solving – build their confidence and leadership abilities, and empower girls to prepare for future jobs.

This second-chance approach turned life around for sixteen-year-old Nabila Nur Hidayati. Nabila lives in the coastal village of Tunggulsari in Kaliori sub-district, where men typically work as fishermen, while women work in seafood processing industries. Most high school graduates leave the village to become labourers in shoe factories.

Nabila’s family has long struggled with financial hardship. Her father, Domiri, a 60-year-old fisherman, often brings home too little from his fishing trips to sell. "Most days, we only get half a kilogram of shrimp, which we cook for the family," he says.

All of Domiri’s children have had to work while young to support the family. Like her two older siblings, Nabila ended up dropping out of school after junior high to help make ends meet. After being out of school for one year, Nabila’s chances of going back to school seemed bleak – until she was supported through a coordinated effort.

Thanks to collaboration between the Education Office in Rembang and the Kaliori Village Office, Nabila was enrolled in a Community Learning Centre. “We collect data on children who are out of school and report this to the Education Office who refers us to collaborate with non-formal education institutions to bring these children back to school,” explains Kusen, the Village Office Secretary.

Since January 2024, UNICEF has supported this collaborative approach in two districts in Central Java, to ensure that more girls like Fiona and Nabila receive comprehensive support. In another 14 districts in Central Java, UNICEF is working with local governments to ensure out-of-school children return to learning. This initiative has reached just over 53,000 adolescent girls.

For families like Nabila’s, the change has been transformative. "Without this programme, Nabila would not have gone back to learning," says Domiri. Today, Nabila’s outlook on her future is driven by new aspirations that no longer focus on becoming a shoe factory worker. "Now, I want to go to college and become a psychologist," she says confidently. 

* * *

*Name changed to protect identity.