Anfoega: Nana Hemaa Adjoa Awindor, the Executive Director for Obaapa Development Foundation, emphasized the importance of empowering traditional leaders as a crucial step towards eradicating child marriage. She highlighted the global scale of the issue, particularly its alarming prevalence in Africa, and underscored the need for a collaborative approach to address it.
According to Ghana News Agency, Nana Adjoa Awindor made these remarks during a two-day capacity-building workshop for traditional leaders in the Anfoega Traditional Area, located in the North Dayi District of the Volta Region. She urged chiefs and Queenmothers to take decisive and urgent actions against child marriage within their communities. The workshop was organized by the Obaapa Development Foundation, with financial support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), under the theme ‘Ending Child Marriage in Ghana; One Paramountcy at a Time.’
The workshop provided traditional leaders with extensive knowledge on various topics, inclu
ding the effects of child marriage, sexual and gender-based violence, health complications, legal provisions, and existing sanctions. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mercy Brown, Director of Store at the Police Headquarters, advised parents against sending their pregnant daughters to live with the men responsible for their pregnancies, educating participants on the legal framework regarding child marriage as outlined in the 1992 constitution.
Mrs. Thywill Eyra Kpe, Volta Regional Director, Department of Gender, highlighted the global concern of child marriage, noting that 650 million girls and women have been child brides worldwide. She cited Ghana’s 2021 population and housing census, which revealed that over 130 children were married before the age of 18. However, she acknowledged the progress made by Ghana, where the incidence of child marriage had declined from 27 percent in 2011 to 19 percent in 2018.
Madam Stella Mawutor, Volta Regional Director for Social Welfare, addressed child marriage as a
significant child protection violation, urging all stakeholders to collaborate in tackling the issue. Mr. Dzidefo Agbavor from the Ghana Health Service discussed the health complications young girls face during pregnancy and childbirth due to undeveloped bodies, including sexually transmitted infections, premature childbirth, low birth weight, and fistula.
Togbe Tepre Hodo IV, Paramount Chief of Anfoega Traditional Area, expressed gratitude to the Obaapa Development Foundation and the UNFPA for organizing the workshop. He affirmed his commitment to collaborating with other stakeholders to end child marriage in the region.