Make threshold for consensus sex 18 years just like election age - Nana Adwoa Awindor

The CEO of Obaapa Development Foundation, Nana Adwoa Awindor has appealed to lawmakers to amend laws over the age that qualifies a girl for consensus sex from 16 to 18 years. According to her, she was worried over that particular instance where the Ghanaian law classifies 18 years and above as matured minds for election and rather classifies 16 years as matured minds for sex. To her, something must be done to equalize the qualifications since she still sees 16, 17 years old girls as under-ages for sex. "If 18 years is qualified as mature minds for election, why don't we do same for girls when it comes to sex? Or what makes their maturity different when it comes to sex? Their minds at those ages still look immature as that of the qualification ages for election," she said. Nana Adwoa Awindor who was speaking in an interview with the media during an International Day For the Girl Child Celebration at Ayeduase expressed worry over the rate at which most underage girls, especially within the Ashanti region get pregnant. The program which had been themed; Our time is now, our rights, our future, the role of traditional leaders in youth development for nation building", saw many stakeholders such as queen mothers, kings, parents, young girls, etc gracing the occasion. The program which was powered by the Obaapa Development Foundation in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) sought to end frequent teenage pregnancy and early child marriages. Expressing joy over the attendance, Nana Adwoa Awindor revealed some keys areas they highlighted during the program. According to her the program centered on how to make young girls assertive, encourage them to make friends with their parents, educate them on menstrual hygiene etc. Adding her voice, the host queen mother, Nana Yaa Saah of the Ayeduase traditional area commended the organisers for bringing the program to her community at this right time. According to her, she needed the program the most due to the fact that most of the young girls within her area had fallen victim to the hands of the University Students from KNUST where she sadly revealed that the male students mostly impregnate the underage girls without taking responsibility. She, therefore, called for more such programs to sensitise innocent girls from the hands of their prey setters. Some Primary, JHS, and SHS female students who attended the program commended organisers for such a wonderful sensitisation. Revealing the experience, the students disclosed that the lessons they had acquired from the program were going to make them bold to oppose negative advances from men. They also revealed that the program had taught them the need to make friends with their parents to avoid any danger.