Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa discusses teenage pregnancy
Two hundred and fifty-one girls under age 20 got pregnant in the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District in the Central Region in 2013.
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This came to light after a survey conducted by the Department of Social Welfare in the district to identify young girls who got pregnant before attaining age 20.
The statistics, which were collated based on cases reported at institutions such as the Department of Social Welfare, the district office of the Domestic Violence and Victims’ Support Unit, the Ghana Education Service, and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), indicated that a number of the girls delivered at the Our Lady of Grace Catholic Hospital at Breman Asikuma.
Focus group discussion
The District Social Welfare Officer, Mr Jacob Asiedu, disclosed this during a focus group discussion on child, early and forced marriages (CEFM) in the district to help prevent early marriages in the district.
The discussants were made up of chiefs, queens, representatives of youth clubs and opinion leaders.
The programme was organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in collaboration with the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD), with funds from the Global Peace and Security Fund (GPSF).
He attributed the causes of pregnancies among young girls to certain traditional practices, religion, poverty and illiteracy, stressing that most of the teenagers were forced into early marriages.
Statistics by WiLDAF
Making references from statistics by the Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) on underage pregnancies across the country, he stated that the Upper East had a prevalent percentage of 50, Upper West, 39; Northern, 36; Volta, 33 and Brong Ahafo 33. The rest are Central, 28; Ashanti, 28; Western, 18; Eastern, 18 and Greater Accra Region 11 per cent.
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He indicated that the statistics was disturbing and, therefore, called for a concerted effort by all stakeholders to prevent the young ones from being pushed into early or forced marriages, which tend to negatively affect their lives in future.
The Deputy Central Regional Director of the NCCE, Mr Alex Sackey, said for Ghana to achieve its desired progress and development, it was important that issues of child, early and forced marriages were tackled holistically.
According to him, as a country, we should not sit down for the young generation who would grow to support the nation’s development to enter into early marriage.
Participants urged to join crusade
Participants were, therefore, urged to join the crusade to eradicate early marriages in the district to allow the young generation realise their future goals.
The Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District Director of the NCCE, Mr Peter K. Gyasi, said his outfit, with support from DFATD and GPSF, was making frantic efforts to reduce CEFM through public awareness.
He stressed that the forum was to help identify the threats posed by CEFM to the community and its development and provide solutions to them.