By Emmanuel Gamson, GNA
Savelugu (N/R), Dec 18, GNA – Cases of betrothals and Child Marriages are high in the northern region and are consistently impacting negatively in the proper development of girls in the region.
According to officials of World Vision (WV), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), “the phenomenon is not reducing in our part of the country. Cases of child marriage stands at 28 per cent in the northern region alone as against a national average of 19 per cent which is worrisome”.
The NGO has therefore urged traditional leaders and Queen Mothers within the Savelugu traditional area to help end cases of child marriages in their communities.
Mr Timothy Akanpabadai, Northern Regional Operations Manager of the WV, said the problems of child marriages were rampant in the Northern region, adding that “the phenomenon is not reducing in our part of the country”.
He said this when the WV held a meeting to dialogue with traditional leaders and Queen Mothers on the measures to put in place to end child marriage in the Savelugu Municipality of the Northern region.
Mr Akanpabadai indicated that child marriage cuts the girl child of her ambitions, adding that it contributed to poverty among families who gave out their girl child for marriage.
He therefore called on traditional rulers to strongly discourage the social canker, and urged them to be advocates for girl child empowerment.
“All of us here need to be advocates to empower the girl child by ensuring that they are educated or given soft skills training so that they can contribute their quota towards national development”.
Bagazaa Naa Amadu Alhassan, Chief of Bagazaa Community, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the side-lines that irresponsible parenting was a contributing factor to child marriages among some members of the public.
He therefore advised parents to provide basic needs for their girl child to encourage them to desist from immoral adolescent acts.
The Bagazaa Naa appealed to the law enforcement agencies in the country to strictly ensure that citizens abide by the laws set out to protect the girl child from early marriages.
Traditional rulers present pledged their commitment to end the problem to help accelerate development in their communities.
GNA
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