As part of a project dubbed “Creating Enabling Environment for prevention of Child, Early and Forced Marriages (CEFM) and Increased Participation of Women in Governance in the Upper East Region,” a workshop has been organized for the media practitioners in the region to deliberate on issues that cause Child, Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM) and as well seek the way forward.
The project which is funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiative (CFLI) and implemented by Rural Initiatives for Self Employment- Ghana (RISE-GH) is aimed at building stakeholders capacity and commitment to address issues of Child, Early and Forced Marriage and Women Civic Rights (WCR).
Addressing media practitioners at a workshop in Bolgatanga, the Resource Mobilization Advisor for RISE Ghana Awal Ahmed said Ghana has one of the highest childhood marriage prevalence in the world. According to him, 25% of females between the ages of 20-25 got married before they turned 18 years old. He also stated that Upper East Region has the highest prevalence level (50%) of females between the ages of 20-25 who married before they turned 18 years old.
He added that unlike some other countries that permit girls to marry at the age of 16, the case in Ghana is different. As stated in the constitution of Ghana, marriage age is set at 18 with the minimum marriage age being 16 but with parental consent. However, He stated that Child, Early and Forced marriages are largely influenced by cultural beliefs, poverty and societal pressure. It occurs frequently among girls who are the least educated, poorest and living in rural areas largely due to the unequal power relations between men and women.
The Bolgatanga Municipal Director for the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) Adongo Gomez, during his presentation also pledged to partner the media to expose the horrible social phenomenon of Child, Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM) and as well prevent a large segment of the girl-child population from failing to contribute effectively to the advancement of the nation.
By: Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen | A1RADIOONLINE.com | GHANA
