ActionAid calls for concerted efforts against child marriage

State agencies, such as the Social Welfare Department, have been urged to speed up processes intended to curtail child marriages.

The Programme Manager of ActionAid Ghana for End Child Marriage Campaign, She-Vera Anzagira, said these institutions hardly follow up on reported cases of child marriages and that enables the people involve to have their way.

She said the delays cause the girls to be moved out immediately upon suspicions from third parties.

“We need state institutions to act really fast or else this campaign would not succeed” she stressed.

She was speaking to The Finder on the sidelines of Girls’ Club Fair being organised by ActionAid.

ActionAid has facilitated and encouraged the formation of girls’ clubs in implementing community schools to empower girls to fight all forms of violence, such as child marriages and claim their rights.

ActionAid has directly engaged 27 girls clubs, giving 1,350 girls club patrons training and supporting clubs with resource materials and persons in support of influencing behaviour change.

Since the campaign inception, ActionAid has been actively engaging young these girls giving them education to promote their rights and supporting them to champion issues affecting them.

The girls showcased the knowledge and skills they have learnt in their clubs meetings in varied creative activities such as bead and soap making.

She-Vera disclosed that ActionAid is working their families, community, opinion leaders and youth groups to address the youth because it is the girl-child who is mostly affected.

She announced that ActionAid is building networks among girls who will be able to help their colleagues, who are affected, to resist and to stick.

The programme started in October 2015 with an overall goal of bringing the practice to a stop in 12 districts and 120 communities across the Greater-Accra, Brong Ahafo, Upper East and Upper West Region and 90 girls have, so far, been rescued.

Ms Denise Dinah Oye Welbeck, Municipal Director of Education, Ga Central-Sowutuom, speaking at the fair, commended ActionAid and advised that the focus to fight child marriage should be extended to boys as well.

She advised the girls to love their books, instead of falling in love with boys.