Séx Tourism in Indonesia - Young Women become Temporary Wives in 'Pleasure Marriage'
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 (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.
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.