Strengthening Women's Legal Protection through Marriage Registration: A Normative Analysis of Law Number 16 of 2019 in Indonesia

Reswadi Reswadi; Faisal Sadat S. Hrhp; Mospa Darma

Authors

Reswadi Universitas Tjut Nyak Dhien
Faisal Sadat S. Hrhp Universitas Tjut Nyak Dhien
Mospa Darma Universitas Tjut Nyak Dhien

Keywords:

Marriage Registration; Women's Legal Protection; Family Law; Legal Certainty; Law Number 16 of 2019.

Abstract

Marriage registration has played a fundamental role in ensuring legal certainty and protecting the rights of spouses within the Indonesian legal system. Nevertheless, the continued prevalence of unregistered marriages has weakened women's legal position and limited their access to legal protection, particularly regarding marital status, property rights, inheritance, maintenance, and the civil rights of children. This study aimed to analyze the role of marriage registration in strengthening women's legal protection under Law Number 16 of 2019 concerning the Amendment to Law Number 1 of 1974 on Marriage. The study employed a normative legal research method using statutory, conceptual, comparative, and philosophical approaches. Legal materials were collected through library research from legislation, judicial decisions, official legal documents, and contemporary scholarly publications and were analyzed qualitatively using prescriptive legal reasoning. The analysis showed that marriage registration functioned not merely as an administrative obligation but as a preventive legal mechanism that established legal certainty and enhanced the protection of women's rights. The findings further indicated that effective marriage registration strengthened legal recognition of marital status, safeguarded property and inheritance rights, facilitated access to judicial remedies, protected children's civil rights, and promoted gender equality. The study concluded that strengthening the implementation of marriage registration under Law Number 16 of 2019 provided a more comprehensive framework for protecting women's legal rights, improving access to justice, and reinforcing legal certainty within Indonesia's family law system.

References

Abubakar, L., & Rodliyah, N. (2022). Legal protection for women in Indonesian family law: Challenges and future reforms. Jurnal Hukum IUS QUIA IUSTUM, 29(2), 245–266. https://doi.org/10.20885/iustum.vol29.iss2.art3

Aisyah, S., & Hidayat, R. (2023). Marriage registration and legal certainty for women in Indonesia. Hasanuddin Law Review, 9(1), 52–67. https://doi.org/10.20956/halrev.v9i1.4621

Aldyan, M., & Nugroho, A. (2024). The legal consequences of unregistered marriages on women’s civil rights in Indonesia. Journal of Indonesian Legal Studies, 9(1), 101–120. https://doi.org/10.15294/jils.v9i1.74218

Fund, U. N. P. (2023). State of world population 2023. UNFPA.

Hikmah, N., & Fadli, M. (2024). Legal certainty and marriage registration in protecting women’s rights. Jurnal Media Hukum, 31(1), 75–93. https://doi.org/10.18196/jmh.v31i1.22018

Kurniawan, A., & Wibowo, D. (2022). Women’s access to justice in family law disputes in Indonesia. Jurnal Dinamika Hukum, 22(3), 401–418. https://doi.org/10.20884/1.jdh.2022.22.3.3561

Nisa, K., & Wulandari, D. (2023). Child marriage prevention after Law Number 16 of 2019 in Indonesia. Jurnal Hukum Dan Peradilan, 12(2), 185–205. https://doi.org/10.25216/jhp.12.2.2023.185-205

Programme, U. N. D. (2022). Gender equality strategy 2022–2025. UNDP.

Rahman, F., & Azizah, N. (2022). Marriage registration as legal protection for women and children. Jurnal RechtsVinding, 11(2), 253–270. https://doi.org/10.33331/rechtsvinding.v11i2.1008

Sari, D., & Putri, R. (2024). Legal protection of women through marriage registration: Indonesian legal perspective. Hasanuddin Law Review, 10(1), 35–50. https://doi.org/10.20956/halrev.v10i1.5010

Soekanto, S., & Mamudji, S. (2022). Penelitian hukum normatif (Revised ed). RajaGrafindo Persada.

Sulastri, E., & Haryanto, B. (2023). Marriage registration and constitutional protection of women’s rights. Constitutionale, 4(2), 156–173. https://doi.org/10.25041/constitutionale.v4i2.3128

Wahyuni, S., & Prasetyo, T. (2022). Legal consequences of unregistered marriage in Indonesia. Jurnal Yudisial, 15(1), 67–86. https://doi.org/10.29123/jy.v15i1.502

Women, C. on the E. of D. against. (2023). General recommendation No. 40 on the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems. United Nations.

Yusdina, A., & Kholis, N. (2024). Marriage registration and women’s constitutional rights in Indonesia. Jurnal Konstitusi, 21(1), 94–118. https://doi.org/10.31078/jk2115

Zubaidah, N., & Ramadhani, F. (2023). Access to justice for women in Indonesian marriage law. Fiat Justisia: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum, 17(3), 295–314. https://doi.org/10.25041/fiatjustisia.v17no3.3321