In a move to protect the most vulnerable population, a project has been launched to end child marriage in 15 communities in the Gomoa East and Awutu Senya districts, and the Awutu Senya East Municipality.
This initiative is an important step in the fight against this harmful practice, which has robbed countless girls of their childhood, education and prospects.
Known as the Promoting Adolescent Safe Spaces (PASS) project, the initiative is being implemented by International Needs Ghana (INGH), an NGO, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
It is part of a global programme aimed at ending child marriage (See Daily Graphic, Thursday, November 27, page 20).
The project seeks to ensure that girls enjoy their childhood free from the risks of early marriage and pregnancy, and are empowered to make informed decisions regarding relationships and marriage.
While adolescent girls are the primary beneficiaries, boys, parents and caregivers are also engaged as secondary target groups.
The Daily Graphic notes that the issue of marrying young girls off before the age of 18 continues to be a scourge on the conscience of the country.
According to UNICEF’s Child Marriage Country Profile 2021, about 19 per cent of girls aged 20-24 were married before their 18th birthday — roughly 2.2 million child brides.
Similarly, the UNFPA-Population Council Situational Analysis on Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Ghana found that in some northern regions, over 30 per cent of girls marry before 18.
In spite of progress in reducing the prevalence of child marriage, one in five girls aged 20-24 still marry before they are 18 years old.
This practice not only violates the rights of these girls but also has severe health, social and economic consequences.
Child marriage leads to early pregnancy, which can result in serious health complications, including maternal mortality and morbidity.
Girls who are married young are also more likely to experience domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, fistula and other sexually transmitted infections.
Furthermore, child marriage often leads to school dropout, limiting girls' opportunities for education and economic empowerment.
Child marriage is a major obstacle to girls' education in the country.
When girls are married young, they are often forced to abandon their education, limiting their opportunities for personal and economic growth. This, in turn, breeds poverty and inequality, undermining national development.
The Daily Graphic believes that to help stop this, access to education for parents and communities where the practice is prevalent should be increased to ensure that girls have access to quality education.
Also, we believe that parents and their young daughters must be economically empowered, as providing economic opportunities for girls and their needy parents can help reduce their vulnerability to child marriage.
According to UNICEF, girls who stay in school are up to six times less likely to marry early.
Poverty and cultural norms are significant drivers of child marriage. In some communities, girls are seen as economic burdens or marriageable assets, rather than future contributors to society.
Therefore, we have to change cultural norms that fuel child marriages in our communities.
The paper suggests the promotion of community-based initiatives that can help shift cultural attitudes towards child marriage and promote girls' rights.
Moreover, we have to strengthen laws and policies as we are certain that enforcing laws against child marriage, meting out punitive measures and providing support to victims are essential in preventing the practice.
The government and policymakers should also work at increasing access to education for girls, especially at the secondary level, as it is crucial to reducing early marriage.
