The Ghana Education Service (GES) has declared zero tolerance for child marriage and called on parents, teachers and community leaders to work together to protect the rights of girls and keep them in school.
At a forum to commemorate this year’s International Day of the Girl Child, at Burma Camp in Accra yesterday, the La Dadekotopon Municipal Director of Education, Habiba Kotonah, said child marriage deprived girls of their childhood, education and opportunities to achieve their dreams with serious consequences for their future.
She, therefore, urged parents to support their daughters’ education while calling on female teachers, particularly those at the senior high school level, to serve as mentors and guide girls through challenges.
Ms Kotonah stressed the need for safe school environments where girls could report sexual harassment and abuse without fear of being blamed or judged.
She also encouraged girls to remain focused on their education and take advantage of available opportunities.
The forum was held at the Forces Senior High Technical School at Burma Camp on the theme: “End child marriage and invest in girls’ rights”.
An NGO, CAMFED Ghana, which supports girls’ education and leadership, organised the programme in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES), with support from the Mastercard Foundation and the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE).
Girls’ rights
The Director of GES Girls’ Education Unit, Gifty Aseidu, said girls continued to face challenges such as early marriage, harassment, discrimination and limited access to education.
She explained that protecting girls’ rights required quality education, safe learning environments and the freedom to make decisions about their lives.
Ms Aseidu called for greater investment in skills training, mentorship, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities to prepare girls for the future.
Skills development
The Head of Workforce Development at the Mastercard Foundation, Ms Emelia Ayipio Asamoah, encouraged girls to know their rights, develop their skills and build the confidence to speak up when necessary.
She urged them to seek mentors, explore opportunities and support one another in achieving their goals.
Ms Asamoah also called on institutions and development partners to create safe spaces for girls and provide opportunities for learning, leadership development and employment.
She said girls’ backgrounds should not determine their future, adding that investment in education and practical skills could prepare them for work and entrepreneurship.
Collective action
The Executive Director of CAMFED Ghana, Ms Fairuza Abdul-Rashid Safian, said child marriage robbed girls of their childhood, disrupted their education and limited their choices.
She emphasised that every girl had the right to learn, be protected, and have her voice heard to determine her future.
Ms Safian described investment in girls’ rights as a commitment to equality, justice and human dignity rather than charity.
She said CAMFED would continue to promote girls’ education and young women’s leadership to ensure that poverty did not determine their future.
