Ghana Hosts Conference to Address Legislative Gaps in Child Marriage.

Tamale: A regional conference titled 'Pathways to Ghana's Progress: Addressing Legislative Gaps in Child Marriage and Customary Laws' has taken place in Tamale to tackle the pressing issue of child marriage in Ghana. The conference aimed to identify gaps and lapses in legislation and customary laws to advocate for improved legislation to end child marriage in the country.According to Ghana News Agency, the conference was organized by Girls not Brides Ghana Partnership, a national coalition of over 70 civil society organizations committed to ending child marriage and promoting the potential of girls. The event was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and was attended by stakeholders including traditional and religious leaders, government officials, and the press from the Northern, North East, Savannah, Upper East, and Upper West Regions.Mrs. Faustina Osei Prempeh, National Chairperson of Girls not Brides Ghana Partnership, stated that the conference was part of efforts to develop a communique for legislative review to improve the situation in Ghana. She emphasized the lack of synergy in some customary laws, which adversely affects the fight against child marriage. Statistics from the Ghana Statistical Service in 2021 revealed that 27.6% of girls in Ghana were married before the age of 18, with over two million child brides or women married as children currently living in the country. A 2020 report by the United Nations Children's Fund also indicated that 63.4% of communities in Ghana still found marriage before 18 acceptable.Mrs. Prempeh urged stakeholders to intensify efforts to address child marriage to support the country's sustainable development agenda. Mrs. Bushira Alhassan, Northern Regional Director, Department of Gender, highlighted the need to tackle cultural norms and economic pressures encouraging child marriage, alongside legal and institutional reforms. She called for enforcement of laws and empowerment of the Department of Social Welfare and law enf orcement agencies with resources, training, and personnel to combat child marriage effectively.Traditional leaders also pledged support, with Nkilgiwurche of the Gonja traditional Area, Boresah Iddisah Jeduah, committing to enforce by-laws to protect girls. Miss Sherifa Adam, a survivor of child marriage, called for increased community sensitization to reduce child marriage cases. The conference emphasized equipping institutions with resources, addressing poverty through economic empowerment, training media practitioners, reviewing marriage age and consent laws, and using survivors to advocate for reforms as essential measures to combat child marriage.