West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi recently proposed a controversial policy to require vasectomy as a prerequisite for receiving social assistance. The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from various groups.
Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) economist Dr. Wisnu Setiadi Nugroho stated that making vasectomy a requirement for social aid is highly inappropriate and inherently discriminatory.
According to Dr. Nugroho, the governor’s approach risks creating social injustice, especially when there are many alternative ways to reduce poverty.
“There are many other alternatives. Having fewer children can indeed reduce poverty because household resources are shared among fewer members,” he explained at the UGM Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB UGM) on Monday (May 5).
Dr. Nugroho pointed out that low-income families tend to have more household members than those in the upper-middle class.
However, making vasectomy a condition for receiving aid is an extreme policy, socially risky, and could be perceived as coercion against vulnerable groups.
“The intention may be to help, but this could result in exclusivity in the social assistance system. Policies should instead be inclusive and equitable,” Dr. Nugroho said.
If implemented, Dr. Nugroho warned that the policy could give rise to a discriminatory and coercive narrative around contraception. Such developments would likely erode public trust in government social aid programs and other initiatives in the future.
He suggested that the government should instead revive the Family Planning (KB) program, which was effective during the New Order era, by promoting voluntary participation. Dr. Nugroho emphasized that this approach successfully reduced birth rates without coercion.
He added that many countries apply indirect approaches to population control. For instance, the United States and the United Kingdom enforce housing policies that limit the number of occupants based on the number of rooms available.
“In the US and UK, the (2n+1) rule is applied: two-bedroom houses accommodate a maximum of five people. Beyond that, we can also provide family planning education and offer alternative forms of contraception,” he explained.
From a human rights perspective, Dr. Nugroho emphasized that reproductive rights are fundamental and should not be subject to state intervention. He stressed that the government has no right to force individuals to undergo medical procedures such as vasectomy.
“What is needed is education, incentives, and outreach,” he asserted.
Dr. Nugroho also cited the experiences of India and China, where similar policies were once implemented. However, these measures triggered serious social issues such as gender inequality and human rights violations.
“China’s one-child policy led to the phenomenon of ‘missing girls,’ and India saw mass protests during sterilization campaigns in the 1970s,” he noted.
He also warned of potential moral hazards if social aid is used to coerce individuals into undergoing certain medical procedures. This could lead to illegal practices such as the issuance of fake vasectomy certificates or the operation of unlicensed clinics.
Dr. Nugroho recommended a participatory and education-based approach to designing a humane and sustainable population policy.
This includes promoting voluntary family planning, offering incentives to encourage participation, providing comprehensive reproductive education, strengthening social protection, and developing innovative programs such as free contraceptive vouchers or socially incentivized systems, all aimed at achieving population goals without coercion.
Reporter: FEB UGM/Kurnia Ekaptiningrum
Author: Agung Nugroho