National Children’s Day Marked

Today is National Children’s Day, a day set aside to focus on the work of all actors committed to the rights of children. The National Children’s Day also provides an occasion for Governments, Institutions and Communities to renew their commitments towards improving the challenges of marginalized and particularly vulnerable children.

The theme for this year’s National Children’s Day is “The Role of the Girl Child in the Prevention of Early Marriage. The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection finds the theme very appropriate because Child marriage has become a disturbing phenomenon in Ghana. According to the Multiple Indicator Survey of Ghana (2011) about one in four women are married before age 18. In fact, many of the regions of Ghana record very high incidences of child marriage, ranging from 12 – 39%.

Child marriage has devastating and long term effects on a girl’s health and education. It also has psychological, emotional, mental, etc. effects on the life and future of girls. It is human rights, gender, health and culture, as well as a development issue. The Government of Ghana therefore considers child marriage as a major hindrance to the development of girls. The theme for the DAY thus presents an opportunity for all girl-child interest actors to double their efforts to end this phenomenon.

In September 2013, Ghana joined 109 countries to co-sponsor a UN resolution [A/HRC/24/L/34] that sought to strengthen efforts to prevent and eliminate child marriage. Civil Society Organizations as well as some international organizations have rallied efforts to bring about an end to this practice. Ghana is increasing its commitment through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to ensure that information on child marriage reaches even the most remote parts of the country through training programmes for key media personnel and public dialogues on the subject.

In this regard, the Ministry has established a Child Marriage Coordinating Unit within its Domestic Violence Secretariat to spearhead the fight against child marriage, in collaboration with other state institutions and NGOs. In July this year, a new Child and Family Welfare Policy was launched to guide the establishment of a new child and family welfare system to better protect children from abuse and exploitation, including child marriage.

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection believes, that this year’s celebration of the National Children’s Day will set the tone to chalk up unprecedented success in the fight against child marriage in Ghana.

The Overall objective of the 2015 National Children’s Day is to take urgent steps to prevent early marriage and also to advocate and educate duty bearers and claim holders of the dangers associated with early marriage and to promote their rights and highlight the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders. The specific objectives of the celebration of the National Children’s Day are as follows;

• To involve children in the fight against early and forced marriage
• To educate the general public on the consequences of early marriage as well as laws prohibiting early marriage. .
• To empower community members on their role in preventing early and forced marriage in their area of jurisdictions.

To commemorate the day, the Department of Children under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is organizing a number of public awareness programmes on Child Marriage across the country. A forum with children in Bekwai and an interaction with a group of young girls at Marcelle School campus in Kumasi in Ashanti Region are being organized to discuss early Marriage. Similar programmes are being held nationwide, including discussions on radio and television.

The MoGCSP calls on all Ghanaians to join hands with the Government to end child marriage in Ghana. This will ensure that all girls have their dreams come true.

ABRAHAM ASARE
COMNMUNICATIONS ADVISOR