Indonesia tightens polygamy rules for civil servants

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A recent decree aimed at regulating polygamy among Jakarta’s male civil servants has sparked a backlash as critics are calling for the practice to be abolished entirely, citing its discriminatory nature and harmful impact on women. The Jakarta gubernatorial regulation, issued on 6 January by acting governor Teguh Setyabudi, reaffirms and tightens existing provisions under Indonesia’s 1974 Marriage Law, which permits polygamy under specific conditions. “Both international human rights treaties emphasise that polygamy is a form of discrimination against women because it creates inequality in marital relations,” said the group’s executive director Usman Hamid. “Revisions to the 1974 Marriage Law should focus on the fulfilment of women’s rights and the liberation of women from discrimination and violence,” the commission said.