Gender Ministry Calls for Intensified Efforts to End Child Marriage.

Accra: The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) has urged stakeholders to enhance their efforts in eradicating child marriage. The ministry emphasized the shared responsibility and necessity for investment by key stakeholders to continue safeguarding and empowering young individuals, particularly adolescents.According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Afisah Zakaria, Chief Director of the Gender Ministry, conveyed this message during a speech at the 2024 Annual Stakeholders' Meeting on ending Child Marriage in Ghana. This meeting provides a platform for stakeholders to discuss their achievements, strategies, and best practices in combating child marriage, despite the challenges faced.Dr. Zakaria stressed the importance of advocating for stronger laws and policies, as well as enforcing mechanisms to put an end to child marriage. While the country has made significant progress in eliminating child marriage, she noted that additional efforts are necessary to improve the developmental outcomes for child brides.Highlighting the violation of fundamental human rights, Dr. Zakaria pointed out that child marriage deprives young girls of their health, education, and future potential. She stated, "Statistics show us the urgency, but we know this is more than numbers because behind every figure is a child with dreams, talents, and aspirations taken away from them because of early or forced marriages."The Ministry, in collaboration with the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), conducted a study on Social Protection and Child Marriage. This study aimed to understand how social protection interventions like the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) and Integrated Social Services (ISS) can contribute to reducing child marriage. Additionally, a study on Gender Analysis of Social Behavior Change Programming was carried out to identify gaps and opportunities for making interventions more gender transformative.Dr. Doris Mawuse Aglobitse, the Gender Team Lead at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), highlighted the persistence of child marriage despite existing legal and policy frameworks. She noted that adolescent pregnancy is both a driver and consequence of child marriage, with two in ten adolescent pregnancies occurring before marriage.The 2021 Population and Housing Census Thematic Brief on Childhood Vulnerabilities in Ghana revealed that over 120,000 children aged 12 to 17 were married or living with a partner. Dr. Aglobitse pointed out that gender inequalities remain deeply entrenched in the country's social system due to patriarchy and socialization, with social and gender discriminatory norms posing significant challenges to achieving gender equality and reducing child marriage.She emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to ensure that women and girls in all their diversities can achieve their potential. Dr. Aglobitse reaffirmed the commitment of UNFPA and UNICEF to support these efforts, stating, "UNFPA and UNICEF are committed to standing with her, as we have always done, in her village, on the hilltop, in the refugee camp, in peace and in war."