Child marriage for both boys and girls persists in the Nkwanta North and other parts of the Oti Region despite the existence of laws and policy frameworks to eliminate it.
According to a 2023 Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) study, 1,014 child marriage cases—or one-third of the 3,728 cases—of child marriages between the ages of 12 and 17—across the eight districts in the region were registered in the Nkwanta North District.
This accounts for 27.3% of all child marriage cases in the area; Guan District had the fewest cases, with 79 cases, or 2.1 percent, of all child marriage cases. The survey also revealed that 43 percent of the 1,014 children involved in early marriage were boys and 57 percent were girls.
While some of the child weddings featured adult men and minor girls, there were other instances where boys were either married to girls or living together, as the Head of the Gender Department at the Oti Regional Coordinating Council (ORCC), Esther Hammond, revealed to The Mirror.
She said that the high number of early marriages in the Nkwanta North District and the surrounding area was concerning because it was bad for the kids’ general growth.
According to Ms. Hammond, early marriages not only had a negative impact on health outcomes but also exacerbated the cycle of poverty, entrenched gender inequality, delayed education, and raised the risk of maternal and infant mortality.
Girls’ rights to an education have been violated, which makes the matter extremely serious. Although the government has a re-entry policy that permits girls to return to school following childbirth, she said that some of them drop out again because it has a negative psychological impact on them.
It’s still a difficult task to end child marriage and other detrimental behaviours, even with international and national efforts. This is especially true for young girls.
Over 12 million girls worldwide get married before turning 18, according to estimates from UNICEF, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund.
The 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) in Ghana found that 79,733 girls between the ages of 12 and 17 were married or cohabiting, underscoring the seriousness of the problem.
This circumstance is especially common in areas like the North-East, Savannah, Upper West, Upper East, and Oti, where high rates of child marriage are mostly caused by causes like teenage pregnancies.
According to the GSS data, over 100,000 children were in union in 2021 despite a reduction in the number and percentage of children who had ever been in a union over the previous ten years.
Furthermore, the study demonstrated that although the national rate decreased by nearly half during the intercensal era, the number of child marriages rose in five regions: the Northern, North East, Savannah, Upper East, and Upper West.
According to the research, “compared to children never in union, a higher proportion of children ever in union had never attended school, and for those that had, a higher proportion were currently not attending or had attended a lower level.”
The results also indicate that females are more vulnerable than boys because factors like schooling, parental survival, and locale type had a greater impact on girls’ chance of child marriage than did boys.
With financial backing from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Department of Gender at the ORCC began engaging stakeholders in an effort to slow down the growing number of child marriages in the Nkwanta North District.
Last week, the district’s authorities participated in a consultative conference to discuss how to stop child marriage and other detrimental cultural traditions. Seventy-two people, including chiefs, headsmen, opinion leaders, religious leaders, assembly members, women’s groups, youth groups, and other stakeholders, attended the consultative gathering.
Six communities—NNabu, Abunyanya, Danladi, Kabonwule, Koni, and Najingon—were represented among the participants.
The purpose of the event was to increase public awareness of the detrimental impacts of child marriage, gain a deeper comprehension of its regional causes, and provide community leaders with the information and resources they need to support legislative changes and neighbourhood interventions.
According to Ms. Hammond, the purpose of the stakeholder engagement was to collaboratively create specialised action plans aimed at addressing child marriage in the district. “With assistance from the UNFPA, the Department of Gender held a consultative workshop that is an essential step in our joint efforts to put a stop to child marriage.
We have a special chance to enable local leaders to act as change agents and safeguard our kids’ safety and wellbeing,” the speaker stated.
She told The Mirror that in order to address the causes of child marriages, attendees at the meeting decided to establish child protection committees and collaborate closely with elementary school administrators.
Ms. Hammond expressed optimism that, with collaboration from all parties involved, a future might be created in which every child could follow their goals and aspirations without fear of being forced into an early marriage.