The National Children’s Day has been observed in Paga, capital of the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region, with a call on Traditional authorities and opinion leaders to fight against child labor, physical, emotional and sexual abuse, as well as child marriage.
Issues that took center stage at the event included child marriage, teenage pregnancy, child labor. It was organized by World Vision International Ghana.
Speakers at the event noted, that children are exposed to violence and this robs them of their dignity, rights, potential and future. Although prohibited by law, early marriages of girls below 18 years persist in some Ghanaian communities.
According to UNICEF 2015 report, 1 in 4 women in Ghana married before the age of 18. Child marriage has increased nationwide from 25.9 percent in 2006 to 27 percent in 2011. The Upper East and the Northern Regions currently records the highest prevalence rate Meanwhile, national prevalence currently stands at 19 percent.
Addressing the gathering, the Upper East Regional Operations Manager of World Vision, Timothy Akanpabadai, commended past and present governments for their contributions towards the fight against child abuse.
The Speaker of the Kassena-Nankana Programme Child Parliament, Alfred Assim, expressed worry over lack of furniture in most of the basic schools in the region.
Speaking on the theme “40 years of Child Rights Promotion and Protection, Charting the Way Forward, the District Chief Executive for Kassena-Nankana West, Gerrard Ataogye, reiterated government’s commitment in making education accessible to all.
The National Children’s Day was instituted in August, 1979 as a key activity of the then Ghana National Commission on Children, GNCC, to see to the general welfare and development of children in the country.
This year’s celebration marks the 30th Anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, CRC, which Ghana was the first country to ratify.
Story By: Samuel Ayammah.
