The Lambussie Traditional Council, in conjunction with the Lambussie-Karni District Assembly, have jointly signed a declaration that abolishes the practice of all forms of child marriages in the area.

The Traditional Council and the Assembly have also resolved to continue to engage their people on the harmful effects of the practice of child marriages and the need to reform the social norms that encouraged child marriage.

The declaration came after the Traditional Council comprising chiefs and queen mothers in the district together with staff of the District Assembly participated in a District Advocacy Conference.

It was on: “Dialoguing and Advocating for the Elimination of the Practice of Child Marriages in the Traditional Area” organised by the Community Development Alliance (CDA).

The declaration said the traditional council would encourage the education of girls and would sanction any person found to have defiled or impregnated a girl to serve as a deterrent to others.

It said child marriages had been an age long cultural practice in the traditional area and had adverse consequences on the education, health and personal development of girls.

The declaration said eliminating the practice of child marriages entirely in all its forms would require more governmental action to ensure that the right of all children to basic quality education was fulfilled as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

In this regard, the declaration called on the government to fulfill the constitutional obligation of truly making basic education free and compulsory for all children.