JAKARTA, RAKYAT NEWS – Amnesty International Indonesia has strongly criticized the recent decision by the Acting Governor of Jakarta to issue a regulation allowing polygamy for civil servants in the Special Capital Region of Jakarta.

Usman Hamid, Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia.
“Polygamy is in direct contradiction to international human rights agreements that Indonesia has ratified, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Both of these international human rights treaties affirm that polygamy is a form of discrimination against women, as it creates inequality within marital relationships.”

Hamid emphasized that the regulation is a clear violation of both national and international human rights principles, particularly gender equality. The United Nations Human Rights Committee, responsible for overseeing the implementation of the ICCPR, has consistently called for the abolition of polygamy, asserting that it undermines the dignity of women and violates the principle of equality in marriage.

Rather than adopting policies that perpetuate discrimination, Amnesty International Indonesia urges the Acting Governor of Jakarta, and the government in general, to establish regulations that provide women with equal access to divorce and child custody rights. In many cases, women face significant barriers in accessing divorce, leaving them trapped in cycles of domestic violence.

Article 3 of the ICCPR mandates that state parties ensure equal rights for men and women, and polygamy contradicts this by being inherently discriminatory. Similarly, Article 5(a) of CEDAW requires states to eliminate practices that promote gender inequality or reinforce stereotypical roles for men and women.