Department of Children appeals for public support against child marriage

By Regina Benneh, GNA 

Techiman (BE/R) Dec. 14, GNA – Mr George
Ankamah, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Director of Department of Children, has
called on the public to be child-right advocates for the elimination of child marriages
and other forms of harmful practices in the country.

He said the assistance of all patriotic
Ghanaians, individuals and groups like youth associations is very important to
augment the efforts of stakeholders such as Departments of Children and Gender,
Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DoVVSU) of the Ghana Police
Service. 

Mr Ankamah said this at a day’s advocacy
meeting organised by the Department of Gender with support from the United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) at Techiman in the Bono East Region.

The event was held to sensitise the
participants – religious leaders and traditional rulers and youth groups drawn
from the Techiman South and Nkoranza South Municipalities, Techiman North,
Nkoranza North and   Kintampo South
Districts on the dangers of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and other
harmful practices.

He reiterated the need for concerted efforts
by stakeholders, notably the support of rural community leaders to report
parents and guardians promoting it for their arrest and prosecution. 

Mr Ankamah said aside being unlawful, child
marriages had a negative effect on victims because they found themselves in a
perpetual state of poverty.

He stressed the need for parents and
guardians to educate their children and wards for them to acquire useful
employment skills and the level of knowledge to be assertive and
independent-minded before allowing for them to be married.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Setina
Aboagye, the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Coordinator of DoVVSU, urged
the public to support the effort to end all forms of violence particularly
actions that affect people emotionally and psychologically.

She said 904 women as against 123 men
reported cases of abuse at DoVVSU in 2018, saying the figures indicate that
more women were being abused and must be stopped to set women free from
afflictions.

GNA