Analisis Kebijakan Pemerintah Daerah dalam Upaya Pencegahan Praktik Pernikahan Dini Masa Pandemi COVID-19

Abstract

This study aims to determine the local government's policy of Kepahiang Regency to prevent the practice of early marriage during the COVID-19 pandemic. The type of research used is descriptive with a qualitative approach. This research method uses in-depth analysis techniques. The results show that the incidence of early marriage in Kepahiang Regency in 2019–September 2021 tends to increase from 15.9% to 44.9%, an increase of 29%. Adolescents who marry under the age of 19 years are mostly, or as much as 73.5% are adolescents of the female gender. In conclusion, several policies have been set by the local government of Kepahiang Regency, including the implementation of a Child-Friendly Regency, with a target focus on efforts to protect children and women, one of which is the prevention of child marriage, the use of Android-based information technology in efforts to protect children and women through reporting via smartphones. Efforts to provide health services to adolescents in the form of counseling services and various services related to adolescent health, efforts to increase community participation and empowerment in improving teenage health, policies to increase adolescent knowledge, especially school-age adolescents, about efforts to prevent early marriage.

Keywords: Government Policy, Prevention, Early Marriage