Save Muslim girls from forced marriages
Most girls in the Zongo communities are forced to abandon their education after completing senior high school (SHS) because they are forced into marriages by their parents.
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Unfortunately, this is done regardless of the academic performance of the girls, the Assistant Headmaster of the Islamic Girls’ Senior High School at Suhum in the Eastern Region, Mr Ebenezer Tawiah, has said.
He said the problem had become a source of great worry to the authorities as girls who had the potential of continuing their education to the tertiary level were made to marry before their West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results were even released.
Mr Tawiah said the problem had been persistent over the years but got to head last year when eight girls between the ages of 15 and 19 in the school who had passed with distinction could not further their education because their parents had already given them out in marriages before the release of the WASSCE results.
“Can you believe that some of the girls had 7As and others, 4As, but they have all been married off without any hope of furthering their education because the men they are made to marry are sometimes illiterates who do not appreciate the importance of education,” he lamented.
According to the assistant headmaster, two years ago, six of the students who performed brilliantly in the WASSCE were also married off in a similar manner.
Mr Tawiah said very often some parents came to the school demanding the withdrawal of their wards, citing financial problems as the reason for the withdrawals.
He said most of the time the headmistress was able to keep the girls in school by convincing their parents to allow them to complete school but the sad thing was that when the girls went home on holidays they often never returned to school again.
The assistant headmaster said there had been times that when the headmistress resisted the withdrawal of students, their parents abandoned the girls in the school and the headmistress had to take care of all their needs.
Some of the girls this reporter interviewed had high hopes for their future and said they would never allow themselves to be married at the expense of their education because they had the right to education.
Aisha Nicabo, who had a real life experience, said she was nearly forced by her uncle to marry someone when she was 15 years old. She said she had to run away from home and seek refuge first at the Amen Scientific Herbal Clinic in her community and later reported to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Police Service where his uncle was made to appear before the authorities for questioning. “That saved my life,” she said happily.
What the law says
Ms Daphne Lariba Nabila, a legal practitioner, has explained that the Children’s Act, 1998 (560), Section 13 states that no person shall force a child to be betrothed; to be the subject of a dowry transaction; or be married.
She added that the minimum age of marriage of whatever kind shall be 18 years and that even it was against the law even if a person was above 18 years and was forced to marry against his or her will.
She advised that anyone who was being forced to marry should report the case to the police for the appropriate measures to be taken.
Concern of Muslim leaders
In an interview with the Regional Manager of the Islamic Education Unit of the Ghana Education Service, Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu, he said early and forced marriages in the Muslim communities was a serious issue which only stiff legislation could solve.
He said in spite of the education which had been given concerning the problem a lot of parents and guardians still gave their children out for marriage.
He pointed out that what was happening meant that the laws were not stiff enough to cause those who were flouting it to stop.
Other Muslim leaders interviewed by this reporter also expressed worry over the situation and said they had also taken it upon themselves to do a house-to-house education of parents in the communities to appreciate the essence of educating their children, especially the girls.
They said they would have been happier if a shelter was built for girls who did not wish to be married early to learn a vocation in a situation where there were no funds for them to continue school.