The key drivers of child marriage are multiple and multi-faceted and are linked to gender inequality, poverty, social and cultural norms and traditional practices as well as teenage pregnancy. A formal or informal marriage involving children less than 18 years is termed as child marriage. Fighting child marriage has become a core development and human rights issue considering the violation of human rights and harmful traditional practices affecting more girls than boys leading to numerous negative health and developmental consequences limiting girls’ economic and individual empowerment.This negatively influences children’s rights to education, health and protection. These consequences impact not just girls directly but also their families and the community at large. In view of this, the department of social welfare and community development embarked on eight (8) days community and home visitation to sensitize parents and care givers on the negative effects of child marriage and its implications on the family, community and the country. A total of 1398 people in 501 households in 8 communities were sensitized.
Child marriage has the tendency of destroying the girl child development. Hence, the need to engage stakeholders to educate parents, care givers and traditional leaders to protect the girl child from all forms of abuses to promote gender equality and national development. There should be strict measures to deter people from giving their girl child in marriage at a tender age and sensitize more people to report such cases to the appropriate agencies to rescue the girl child from all forms of abuses. SOURCE:HANNAH YEBOAH (DISTRICT HEAD SOCIAL WELFARE & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT)