Based on data from the Maternal Perinatal Death Notification (MPDN), the maternal death recording system of the Ministry of Health, the number of maternal deaths in Indonesia reached 4,005 in 2022, and increased to 4,129 in 2023. Compared to neighboring countries, such as Malaysia, Indonesia still records a high number of maternal deaths. In Malaysia, the maternal death rate is 26 per 100,000 live births, while in Indonesia it is 189 per 100,000 live births. Although Indonesia’s larger population may contribute to this disparity, the significant gap highlights the severe issues related to maternal health care in the country.
Research from the Indonesian Medical Doctors’ Association identifies several factors contributing to maternal deaths, including postpartum hemorrhage, preeclampsia, obesity, postpartum complications, and teenage pregnancy. While these factors are directly related to the mothers’ personal health conditions, socio-cultural factors also play a crucial role. In many regions, young girls are often forced into early marriages as a way to escape poverty, creating conditions that are detrimental to maintaining maternal health during pregnancy. These socio-cultural pressures exacerbate the already challenging circumstances faced by expectant mothers, underscoring the need for a more comprehensive approach to maternal health care in Indonesia.
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Despite a decreasing trend in teenage marriages over the last six years, the rate of marriage dispensation has surged during the pandemic, rising from 23,145 cases in 2019 to 63,382 cases in 2020. This increase is largely attributed to poverty and the patriarchal culture widely practiced in Indonesia. Female teenagers from low-income families often face discrimination and are deemed a burden to their families. Consequently, they are pressured into marriage as a perceived solution to improve the family’s situation.
In such challenging circumstances, public narratives surrounding pregnant women are often unsupportive. The prevailing notion is that pregnancy is a duty, and therefore women should endure without complaint. Mothers who express discomfort or seek support are unfairly criticized, viewed as unprepared, and subjected to negative commentary undermining the importance of their health compared to that of their babies’.
Unfortunately, misogynistic narratives persist even after childbirth. Society tends to idealize natural births over Caesarean sections, stigmatizing mothers who undergo surgical deliveries as lazy or weak, opting for what is perceived as ‘the shortcut’ of motherhood. Furthermore, when maternal deaths occur during childbirth, society often accepts these tragedies fatalistically, viewing them as inevitable consequences of a woman’s fate, without adequately addressing the underlying reasons or advocating for preventive measures in the future.
What exacerbates this situation is not only the culture of blaming mothers, but also the lack of encouragement for fathers to be the most supportive system alongside mothers. Many mothers share their experiences on social media, expressing frustration that their husbands fail to assist with domestic duties, and some even engage in extramarital affairs while their wives are pregnant.
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In addition to the lack of family support, many Indonesian mothers suffer due to inadequate healthcare facilities, both in rural and urban areas. The latest report from the National Commission against Women Violence reveals that many healthcare facilities lack sufficient numbers of midwives and obstetricians to assist mothers. Moreover, coordination issues among healthcare providers, especially for mothers with medical conditions, persist as a significant problem. Ultimately, these systemic challenges result in mothers facing a double burden when delivering babies.
The romanticization of women’s suffering during pregnancy and childbirth, coupled with the lack of support from public and government sectors, creates significant barriers for Indonesian mothers to achieve an ideal situation for themselves. Without a concerted effort to expand the public’s role in supporting mothers, Indonesian mothers not only risk physical complications during childbirth but also face the potential of postpartum depression and emotional trauma from societal pressures to meet idealized standards of motherhood.
In the long term, the romanticization of mothers’ suffering perpetuates patriarchal norms that marginalize women in society and normalizes inadequate care and support, hindering efforts to improve maternal health services by both society and the government. Given these detrimental consequences, it is imperative to challenge these harmful cultural practices if Indonesia seeks to nurture a brighter generation. This can begin by establishing supportive systems among women and advocating for government sectors to prioritize the health and well-being of women over outdated and harmful ideals of sacrifice and suffering.
