Marriage Disrupted: A Sociological and Legal Examination of Women’s Ascendance as Family Heads

This study examines the legal and social challenges faced by female heads of households in Salatiga City using a sociological juridical approach. Through a combination of normative analysis of laws and regulations and an empirical approach through interviews and observations, this study finds that female heads of households experience structural discrimination in legal recognition and access to social assistance. The integration of feminist theory, structural functionalism, and conflict theory is used to read the dynamics of gender inequality in the local socio-cultural context. The results of the study show that social and legal policies have not been responsive to the needs of women as the main actors in the household. This study recommends updating gender-based policies and strengthening women's legal capacity at the community level.