By Godfred A. Polkuu, GNA
Bolgatanga,
Oct. 13, GNA – Hajia Lamnatu Adam, the Northern Regional Chairperson for Girls
Not Brides (GNB), has called on parents and guardians to desist from burdening
their girl children with household chores, which affects their academic work in
school.
The GNB is a
global partnership of over 1300 Civil Society Organisations (CSO) committed to
ending child marriage and to enable girls all over the world, fulfil their
potentials.
She observed
that “They overburden girls with household chores- the girls are the ones doing
the cooking, they are those doing the washing, cleaning, and sometimes doing
the ironing and very little chores are left for the boys.”
Hajia Adam was
speaking at this year’s International Day of the Girl Child held on the theme:
“Leveraging the support of traditional and religious leaders to assist parents
to marry their girl child at the right age of 18years and above.”
She said such
attitudes put pressure on girls and most of them dozed off in class during
contact hours, and expressed worry that similar practices were done in some
schools across the country, where girls were made to sweep while their male
counterparts idled about.
Hajia Adam, who
is also the Executive Director of Songtaba, a Non-Governmental Organisation
(NGO) operating in Tamale in the Northern Region, indicated that some
socio-cultural practices made it difficult for girls to strive to higher
academic heights.
She said girls
were far beyond practices such as child marriages, which prevented them from
unearthing their God-given talents, and insisted that parents should “let the
girls’ potential flow, give them the atmosphere they need to develop, and you
will see the wonderful things the girls will do.”
Mr Hussein
Rahman, the Northern Zonal Coordinator of the GNB partnership, said the theme
for this year’s celebration was relevant because there was the need to ensure
that the voice of the girl child was respected, and for stakeholders to
recognise the key roles girls could play if they were guided and properly
trained.
According to
him, “You cannot have a better society when you have men dominating the system.
So we want to ensure that the girls are better taken care of, they are in
school and they are learning a skill to better their lives.”
Reverend
Dominic Ziba, Head Pastor of the Holy Ghost Temple of the Assemblies of God
Church in Bolgatanga, said even though churches played their role to ensure
that children were trained according to the teachings of God, parents had a
greater role to play.
He said to end
child marriages, parents would have to “Sit up and know that once somebody
calls you a father or mother, you have a responsibility. As a church, we will
not relent in our responsibility, we will teach and preach the truth to them”.
The global
theme for this year’s International Day of the Girl Child which is celebrated
annually on October 11, is “Girl force: Unscripted and Unstoppable.”
GNA
