Network recues two teenage girls from forced marriage

By
Regina Benneh, GNA

Sunyani, Oct. 11, GNA – The Brong-Ahafo
Regional Girls Education Network has rescued two teenage girls from forced
marriage at a farming community in the Banda District and Yamfo in the Tano
North Municipality in the region.

The two girls who are Junior Secondary School
(JHS) students are 14 and 17 years respectively, Mr. Beatrice Mamle Nkum, the
Regional Coordinator of Girl-Child Education, disclosed at a media briefing on
girl’s education in Sunyani.   

She said officials of the Network intervened
to stop the marriage ceremonies of the girls and their parents were invited to
sign a bond to ensure that they would be enrolled again in school.

The Network 
is made up of  representatives
from the Domestic Violence and Victims  Support
Unit (DOVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, Department  of Social 
Welfare, Children‘s Department and the Ghana Education  Service   

Mrs Nkum said parents did not have the right
to force their daughters into marriage, saying even if a girl was at the age of
18, she could only be given into marriage upon her consent.    

She expressed worry that girl-child marriage
was prevalent in the region as it was being secretly practiced in some of the
districts and municipalities.

Mrs Nkum appealed for concerted efforts by
stakeholders to advocate for girls to attain employable skills to contribute to
the nation’s development.

GNA