By Seraphine Nyuiemedi
The Volta Regional Director of Department of Gender, Thywill Eyra Kpe has called for consented efforts to help address all forms of abuse and discrimination against children in the country.
She bemoaned a situation whereby some parents give out their young girls for marriage, and in effect cutting short their future dreams and aspirations.
She, however, urged traditional authorities and other stakeholders to be the forerunners in ending child marriage and all forms of abuse against children so as to safeguard the future of adolescent girls.
Mrs Kpe was speaking at the Volta Regional commemoration of 16-days of activism against gender-based violence in Ho.
16-days of Activism Against Gender-based violence which spans from November 25 to December 10 is earmarked by the United Nations to mobilize stakeholders action to end gender-based violence especially against women and girls across the globe.
Activities for the commemoration include a caravan campaign on sexual and gender-based violence and child marriage through the principal street of Ho.
The Volta Regional Director of Department of Gender, Thywill Eyra Kpe appealed to parents and other stakeholders to put a stop to such acts and speak up against all forms of abuse meted out to children in the society to give women and the girl- child a chance, a voice and a future so that they can also contribute to the development of the country.
The United Nations Populations Fund’s (UNFPA) Gender Analyst, Selina Owusu said 1 in 5 girls aged 20-24 years are married off before attaining the age of 18 in Ghana. She said, though the prevalence of child marriage in the country has declined over the past three decades, more needs to be done within the regions.
She reiterated the UNFPA’s commitment to end the menace of child marriage and gender-based violence in the Volta region and the country as a whole.
