NCCE sensitises Garu JHS students on dangers of child marriage

The Garu District Office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Upper East Region has undertaken a week-long sensitisation exercise across six junior high schools in the district, focusing on the dangers of child marriage and the collective responsibility to protect the welfare of children.

The outreach, which formed part of the Commission’s 2025 operational theme, “Ghana’s Future: Our Collective Responsibility,” targeted students with messages on the social, legal and developmental implications of child marriage.

Addressing the students, the Garu District Director of the NCCE, Mr. Samuel Akolgo, highlighted the strong link between child marriage, teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence.

He explained that child marriage refers to both formal and informal unions involving persons below 18 years and is often driven by cultural practices, economic pressures and entrenched social expectations.

Mr. Akolgo outlined the far-reaching consequences of the practice, including serious health risks, disruption of education, increased exposure to abuse, social stigma and long-term economic hardship.

He stressed that eliminating child marriage requires a coordinated national effort involving families, institutions and community stakeholders.

He further identified strategies necessary for ending the practice, such as strict law enforcement, revising harmful cultural norms, empowering young people to assert their rights, sustained stakeholder engagement and providing support systems that improve educational conditions for the girl-child.

Reinforcing these points, the Programmes Officer at the Garu District Directorate of the NCCE, Mr. Ali Nashiru, educated the students on Ghana’s legal frameworks that protect children.

He cited the 1992 Constitution and the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), which define a child as any person below 18 years and expressly prohibit betrothal, dowry transactions involving minors and marriage before the age of 18.

He explained that the law recognises 18 years as the age at which individuals are expected to have attained the intellectual, emotional and physical maturity required for adulthood.

Also present was the Garu District Director of the National Youth Authority, Mr. Francis Abugbilla, who disclosed an existing partnership between the Authority and the NCCE aimed at promoting values such as patriotism, honesty and discipline among young people.

He urged parents and guardians to respect and protect children’s rights and ensure they are raised in safe and nurturing environments free from discrimination and abuse.

Mr. Akolgo concluded the engagements by reminding students of the Sustainable Development Goals, which seek to ensure that all children live free from violence, are protected during crises and thrive within supportive family systems, in line with the global commitment that no one will be left behind.

The schools visited during the sensitisation exercise were Bugwia JHS, Gbelingivuus JHS, Garu-Natinga Great Success Academic JHS, Father Mourin JHS, Kugri JHS and Songo JHS.