No child, forced marriage reported in Ashanti since 2023

Kumasi: The Ashanti Region has since 2023 not recorded any child or forced marriage case, Mr Stephen Ofosu, the Ashanti Regional Director, Department of Children, said on Tuesday.He said between 2020 and 2021, five child marriage cases were recorded and handled by the Regional Child Protection Committee, in collaboration with the DOVVSU.Speaking at the Regional Child Protection Committee's half-year review meeting in Kumasi, Mr Ofosu said in 2022, DOVVSU's report to the Committee showed that only three child marriages and two cases of forced marriages were recorded.The success hinged on teamwork between the Department, DOVVSU and other stakeholders through intensified activities in public education, seminars and advocacy, he said.The half-year review meeting discussed strategies to eliminate early and forced marriages, especially in Muslim communities in the Ashanti Region, and updated on strategies to eliminate foreign children begging on the streets of Kumasi.Concerns were raised on the rationale behind the use of twins to beg for alms on the streets and elimination strategies going forward.Stakeholders presented updates on engagement with religious and traditional leaders on child protection issues, dissemination of the Child Protection in Emergency Rapid Assessment Report and how the Gender Transformative approaches had been incorporated among others.Those who raised concerns about the increasing number of foreign children begging on the streets, called for strict checks on Ghana's borders, which had been 'porous', contributing to the increased spate of the menace in major cities and towns.Source: Ghana News Agency