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One Indonesian City Found a Radical Way to Make Fathers Pay Child Support

Every year, hundreds of thousands of Indonesian families break apart in court. The papers are signed, the judges rule, and then — for millions of women left to

Akhyari Hananto

May 25, 2026 12:03 PM GMT+7

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Jakarta Post

Every year, hundreds of thousands of Indonesian families break apart in court. The papers are signed, the judges rule, and then — for millions of women left to raise children alone — the real ordeal begins: trying to collect money the law says they are owed.

In Surabaya, officials grew tired of watching court orders go ignored. In 2023 they launched a policy unlike anything else in the country: fathers who refuse to pay court-ordered child support are barred from accessing up to 30 categories of public services. Lost your identity card? Need a birth certificate or a marriage document officially stamped? If you are behind on child support, the doors close.

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