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Teenage pregnancy and early marriage are becoming increasingly problematic in the Duakwa area of the Agona East District in the Central Region, where many girls aged 13 to 19 are being forced into marriage or cohabitation after becoming pregnant.
Stakeholders attribute this issue to parents and traditional leaders who encourage girls to live with the men who impregnate them, rather than pursuing legal action.
Richlove Amamoo, the Central Regional Director of the Department of Gender, has emphasized that early marriage and cohabitation involving children under 18 constitute gender-based violence and are punishable by law.
At a conference for traditional leaders, Ms. Amamoo urged them to refrain from handling cases of teenage pregnancy and early marriage themselves and to allow the legal system to intervene.
The conference aimed to educate traditional leaders on the risks associated with early marriage and teenage pregnancy and to stress the importance of protecting children from abuse and exploitation.
Despite the Children’s Act 560 of 1998, which prohibits child marriage, sex, and other forms of abuse, stakeholders report that the law is not being enforced in the Duakwa area.
Nana Kweku Kumi-Sanaahene of Agona Duakwa, a traditional leader, voiced his concern about the rising trend and called for urgent reforms to safeguard the future of young girls in the area.
Source:Omanghana.com
