STAKEHOLDERS FOCUS MEET TO CUT DOWN TEENAGE PREGNANCIES/MARRIAGES

Stakeholders from various backgrounds including traditional authorities and some selected opinion leaders and public servants, have met for a day’s deliberations on how best to handle the unending canker of teenage pregnancies and child marriages in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region.

The meeting was convened by the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development and was held last Friday at the Assembly’s conference hall in Paga.

Stating the purpose and background for the meeting, the Head of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development Madam Victoria Asuliwono observed that, teenage pregnancies and child marriage were a persistent issue the world over, affecting millions of young lives and that sadly, the Kassena-Nankana West District has equally been faced with the canker.

She added that the double-faced canker affects the Socio-economic development of the young and teenage girls were mostly the most-affected in the district. According to her, a number of cases were recorded in the area in the past concerning the subject matter while yet, others were never reported for redress for reasons best known to the victims and their families. She emphasized that, the canker is a clear violation of human rights; depriving children of their childhood, education, and potentials noting that, this harmful practice has even severe physical, emotional, and psychological consequences for the victims.

Madam Asuliwono also explained child marriage to mean the union of two individuals, at least one of whom is under the age of 18. Teenage marriage typically involves individuals between 16 and 19 years old. Referencing the United Nations’ body UNICEF, she disclosed that an estimated 650 million girls and women alive today were married before their 18th birthday. In 2020 for instance, some 7.6 million girls under 18 got married, which translates to 21,000 child marriages every day.

She mentioned a major cause of this teenage pregnancies and child marriages as poverty and economic factors; where families may see marriage as a means to reduce financial burdens or gain economic stability and daughters are seen as a source of family income. Other causes include cultural and religious traditions, conflict and displacement, limited access to education and job opportunities. Madam Asuliwono also held that, “gender inequality and social norms play a major role in child marriage as deeply ingrained gender roles and stereotypes perpetuate the idea that girls are inferior to boys while social norms often prioritize boys’ education and career advancement over girls’”.

With all these negative impacts of the canker on the well-being of the girl-child, the Social Welfare and Community Development director appealed to traditional and opinion leaders to be up and alive with their vital roles in shaping social norms and influencing community behaviors for positive outcomes in the fight against teenage and child marriage. She also urged other relevant opinion leaders, such as Government officials, Assembly Members, Unit Committee Members and local celebrities with a large following to their best in their specialized fields to help sway public opinion to social issues like child marriage.

Kassena-Nankana West District Chief Executive, Hon. Gerard Ataogye who also addressed the stakeholders noted the phenomenon of teenage pregnancies and child marriages were a dent on the image of society and that all well-meaning citizens who care about the future leaders of Ghana, must immediately put their hands to the wheel and bring forward all their suggestions, resources and strategies to curtailing the menace.

Meanwhile the stakeholders including officers from the Ghana Health Service, the Ghana Education Service, the National Commission for Civic Education, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Queen mothers, Chiefs and others all pledged to getting actively in any efforts geared at stamping out the canker in the area.