Stakeholders in the Upper East region are calling on parents, traditional authorities and the public to put an end to child marriage. The Upper East region is said to have recorded high cases of child marriage with children marrying even at the age of 10 against their will. But as a matter of urgency, Acting Director of Department of Gender, James Twene called for a multi-sectorial approach to overcome challenges confronting adolescent girls.
According to him “poverty, violence and child marriage remain critical or important factors” hindering the progress of education of the girl child in the region.
In order to end the menace Mr. Twene said the education of girls or empowerment should not be limited to the classroom but ensuring that “girls learn and feel safe while in school”
Upper East Regional Director of Department of Children, Georgina Aberese-Ako who bemoaned the spate of teenage pregnancies in the region called for a concerted effort at ending the menace. “Societies or communities, we still have children who are being forced to go and marry. We have teenage pregnancies which is very high [and] in the whole country Upper East region is number one”
Upper East Regional Minister, Rockson Bukari on the occasion added his voice to ending child marriage, female genital mutilation and other harmful practices affecting the girl child. “We as a people needs to increase our efforts to end child marriage, female genital mutilation and other harmful practices affecting our gild child”
These calls were made during a celebration to mark the International Day of the girl child in Bolgatanga.
By: Joshua Asaah|A1radioonline.com|Ghana
