A troubling, unlawful tendency under Indonesian law has drawn criticism and worries from the internet community. For a bride fee, women in several Indonesian communities are temporarily marrying male visitors. It is said that the ladies have started engaging in this "pleasure marriage" conduct to provide for their families.

A thriving industry
The Los Angeles Times (LA Times) reports that the number of pleasure weddings has increased, contributing to the growth of the local economy and tourism.

Several rural women are turning this activity into a career since they have few employment opportunities, according to Yayan Sopyan, an Islamic family law professor at Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State university in Jakarta, who spoke with the LA Times. He remarked, "We can see that this practice is growing now." "Tourism fills this demand for money."

Families used to pressure young ladies to get into "pleasure marriages" in the past. But these days, everything is handled by brokers or agencies, making it an institutionalized process.

Cahaya: A bride of pleasure marriage
Cahaya (name changed) spoke candidly about being a part of this practice since she was 17 in an interview with the LA Times. She paid $850 in dowry to marry a Saudi Arabian guy in his 50s in her first marriage. She has been married fifteen times in her lifetime.
 
When her grandparents learned of a male traveler seeking a temporary wife, they forced her into marrying her classmate at the age of 13. She was left to support herself and her kid after her spouse eventually filed for divorce. She decided to make this her career as she couldn't see any other option.

She was taken to saudi arabia by one of her temporary husbands, so her terrifying journey didn't finish there. He gave her a $2000 dowry, of which she would receive $1300 as her portion, plus a $500 monthly allowance. But as soon as she arrived in the Middle Eastern country, the man began to treat her like his slave, mocking her, kicking her, and having her perform home tasks for free.
 
She apparently made many unsuccessful attempts to flee. At last, she got in touch with Budi Priana, the guy who initially connected her to a broker when she started working in this field. He begged other Indonesian ministries and the Saudi Embassy in Jakarta to assist Cahaya in returning home. She tried suicide, which accelerated her case with the embassy before she could finally go home.

Budi Priana: "Not a broker but liaison"
In an interview with the LA Times, Budi Priana stated that he just serves as a middleman between job-seeking women and eager visitors in exchange for a certain price. He does not operate as a broker. He made it clear that he makes his living as a driver, an internet café operator, an interpreter, and a seller of frozen meatballs.

"I tell them I'm not an agent, but there are always new girls contacting me looking for contract marriages," he claimed, adding that "they are so desperate to get jobs, and the economy is getting worse." Sadly, he is not alone in this; many others share his viewpoint.

Illegal but...
Like prostitution, contract marriages are prohibited by Indonesian law. But because the law is not upheld, pleasure marriage has become a lucrative industry.

It's not just sex
It's not always about the sex, supposedly. As Cahaya experienced with her first marriage for pleasure, there are occasions when tourists desire a bride to serve as a maid.







 




 
 

 
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Pleasure Marriage

SIBY JEYYA

05/10/2024 12:00 PM