The Head of the Child Marriage Unit at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hajia Saphia Tamimu, has acknowledged Ghana’s progress in combating child marriage while emphasising the need for sustained efforts to eradicate the practice by 2030.
Speaking at a media workshop in Accra to discuss how journalists can use their various platforms to educate the general public about child marriage and its disadvantages, Hajia Saphia Tamimu highlighted the significant strides made in reducing child marriage rates but noted the challenges that persist.
Statistics from 2018 indicate that Ghana has achieved notable progress, with the prevalence of child marriage decreasing from about 40% in the 1980s to 19.3%. However, one in five girls in Ghana is still married or enters into informal unions before the age of 18. Globally, an estimated 12 million girls are married before 18 each year, according to UNICEF.
Hajia Tamimu emphasised the critical role of the media in addressing the issue and urged stakeholders to leverage resources such as the National Child Marriage Information Portal, which was launched in 2021. The portal provides vital information on child marriage, including statistics, research papers, and details on support services for victims.
Adolescent pregnancy remains a significant factor driving child marriage, with 15.3% of girls aged 15 to 19 in Ghana either having given birth or being pregnant. Hajia Tamimu called on all stakeholders, including civil society, religious leaders, and the public, to work together to end child marriage.
"The fight against child marriage requires a collective effort; hence, let all of us come together in protecting the rights and futures of young girls in Ghana. The ministry has been working in collaboration with other partners, but we can not do it all alone, we need the media to set the agenda on child marriage, we need the chiefs and queen mothers to come on board and the general public as a whole so we can fight and end child Marriage in Ghana," she stated.
Consultant on Early Child Marriage for the Ministry of Gender and UNFPA, Senanu Agbozo, also addressed the workshop, describing child marriage as a pervasive global menace. He stressed the importance of education in combating the issue and urged the public, particularly religious communities, to raise awareness about the dangers of child marriage.
"We need to intensify education of the public, particularly religious sects, to raise awareness about the issue," Senanu Agbozo.
The Ministry has identified the northern region as a hotspot for child marriage and is intensifying efforts to educate communities and religious leaders about its harmful impacts. Members of the public are encouraged to report incidents of child marriage through the Ministry’s toll-free hotline, 0800 111 222.