Central Regional Centre for National Culture launches 15-day campaign against child marriage

The Central Regional branch of the Centre for National Culture (CNC) has initiated a 15-day campaign against child marriage, employing edutainment techniques in selected communities.

Supported by UNICEF and collaborating with entities such as the Ghana Education Service, Ghana Health Service, and the Social Welfare Department, the campaign aims to educate on the social, economic, legal, and medical consequences of child marriage.

The campaign, operating under the theme “For our Bright Future, End Child Marriage Now,” focuses on fifteen communities in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) and Mfantseman municipalities, as well as the Cape Coast Metropolis.

The campaign kicked off with a dramatic performance centered on the challenges faced by a 12-year-old girl forced into marriage. The program also addressed personal hygiene, malaria prevention, the importance of formal education, and condemned harmful practices like Female Genital Mutilation and illegal abortion.

Mr. Ebenezer Nti, Acting Regional Director of CNC, emphasized the effectiveness of education through entertainment, stating that it leaves a lasting impact on participants. He called for a collective effort in the fight against child marriage and expressed hope that the campaign would bring about positive change.

Detective Sgt Richard Boadi-Twum, an Investigator with the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit, Ghana Police Service, highlighted the criminal nature of giving a child below 18 years for marriage. He cautioned against engaging in sexual activities with a child below 16 years, emphasizing the legal consequences.

Madam Emma Delali Forley, a Public Health Officer and Central Regional Adolescent Health Focal Person, emphasized the burdens child marriage imposes on children, the economy, and the health system.

She warned about the health complications associated with pregnancies in underage girls and urged parents to support their daughters in pursuing education and vocational training before considering marriage.

The CNC plans to extend similar campaigns to five other regions: Eastern, Western, North-East, Northern, and Savanna.