At a time when families face both spiritual and structural fragility, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta chose to speak out. Through a national saresehan held on July 5, 2025, titled “Keluarga sebagai Pilar Bangsa: Perspektif Keagamaan dan Kekinian dalam Membangun Pernikahan yang Berkeadilan Gender dan Tangguh,” the university positioned family not merely as a private affair—but as a pillar of civilization.

“Family is not just a private identity,” said rector Prof. Noorhaidi Hasan, “it is the foundation of national civilization.” He emphasized that building a pernikahan yang berkeadilan gender (gender-equitable marriage) is not an optional virtue but a necessary strategy for nurturing spiritually and emotionally resilient generations. This is central to UIN Sunan Kalijaga’s long-standing commitment to justice and inclusivity, reflected in its Pusat Studi Wanita, now transformed into the Pusat Pengarusutamaan Gender dan Perlindungan Anak.

These are not mere institutional labels. They represent a decades-long movement embedded in the university’s DNA, including efforts by the Kalijaga Institute for Justice to integrate gender justice into Islamic discourse.

The Kurikulum Cinta, championed by the Kementerian Agama and echoed during the saresehan by A.M. Ardiyanto Sumarjono, invites a new educational paradigm: one rooted in compassion, not dogma. “Knowledge will only flourish if taught with the language of love,” he said. “Religion should unite, not divide.”

He also delivered a sharp reflection on ekoteologi, a spiritual framework linking human responsibility, divine presence, and environmental ethics. “The current ecological crisis is a moral and spiritual one,” he warned. “Ekoteologi must be part of religious education to raise environmentally conscious generations.”

The message was echoed, and deepened, by Helmi Halimatul Udhmah, advisor to the Dharma Wanita Persatuan (DWP) and spouse of Minister of Religious Affairs Prof. Nasaruddin Umar. “Marriage is a right,” she said, “but without mental and economic readiness, it creates new problems.” Divorce, she noted, often produces new poverty, especially among women and children.

Helmi called for ruang konseling (counseling spaces) to be made available in institutions, and reminded parents to educate their teenagers early on about relationship values. “Marriage is not a prison,” she said, “but neither is it freedom without boundaries. Respect and trust must form its foundation.”

She added that DWP must be more than a bureaucratic organization—it must serve as a motor penggerak kultural, a cultural engine that brings transformation from the home outward to the nation.

What UIN Sunan Kalijaga demonstrated through this saresehan is a bold integration of faith, gender, and education. This is not only an academic exercise—it is a roadmap for reform. From religious literacy to family resilience, the message is clear: love must evolve beyond slogan into principle. Or, as Prof. Noorhaidi concluded, “Cinta must become the ethical compass of our homes, religious institutions, and public policies.”