the islamic court of bulukumba 191
4.6 Satisfaction Concerning Support
In the Divorce Survey I asked whether the women concerned were
satisfied with the contribution of the father of their children in terms of
child or spousal support. A mere 8.5 per cent of the respondents were
satisfied with the father’s contribution and 40 per cent were dissatisfied.
The image of post-divorce rights presented above already indicated that
child support is unenforceable and apparently many fathers do not pay
enough support in the eyes of their ex-wives.
Nonetheless, the background of this dissatisfaction appears to be
more of a moral issue than an economic necessity: 72 per cent of the
respondents stated that their economic situation had actually improved
after the divorce. One of the main reasons for this improvement may
be that divorced women and their children generally return to their
parents’ care. If no swift remarriage takes place, divorced women may be
encouraged to leave the area and find employment in the factories of
Makassar or are recruited to work abroad whilst leaving the children in
the care of the grandparents. The working opportunities for divorced
women may contribute to the improvement of the economic situation of
the women concerned (and regional economic development), even for
those women who – if they had the choice – would have preferred to
continue playing the traditional role of housewife.
5 Conclusion
The Sharia byelaws in Bulukumba have a historical component as they
echo the aspirations of the Darul Islam movement in South Sulawesi
(1951–1965). In 2011, the Laskar Jundullah had left the streets (although
with the foundation of a local branch of the fpi this might have changed),
but the Sharia byelaws were still very much upheld in government offices
and – as the veiling incident has shown – in the Islamic court. With
regard to family law issues, the Sharia byelaws seem not to have any
negative influence on women’s rights. The Islamic court of Bulukumba is
effective in making divorce for women accessible since almost all women
who petition for a divorce at the Islamic court are successful. A majority
of the women in Bulukumba divorce formally, through a court decision.
The status of women in informal divorces is considered stained and
they may have difficulties remarrying, whereas remarriage for formally
divorced women is much more accessible.
The lion’s share of divorces – about 80 per cent – are petitioned by