Ga West Marks International Day of the Girl Child with Call to End Child Marriage

The Ga West Municipal Education Directorate, in collaboration with the Life Partners Platform (LPP), an NGO, has celebrated the International Day of the Girl Child. The celebration took place at the Ga West Municipal Assembly Hall under the theme: “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights.”

The programme brought together the Municipal Chief Executive, the Member of Parliament, the Coordinating Director, Municipal Education Director, education stakeholders, Members of the Ga West Gender sub-committee, traditional and community representatives, students, parents, development partners and other stakeholders to raise awareness of issues affecting the girl child and promote actions that will protect girls and enable them to reach their full potential.

The MCE for Ga West, Hon. John Desmond Sowah Nai, encouraged girls to believe in themselves, study hard and pursue leadership roles, emphasizing equal rights and opportunities. He further urged boys to respect, support and avoid bullying girls.

The Member of Parliament for Amasaman, Hon. Sedem Kweku Afenyo, congratulated the mock parliamentarians and urged the girls to study hard and take up high positions to help reduce corruption in Ghana. He offered an invitation to the mock parliament to the Parliament of Ghana.

In a speech delivered by Mrs. Louisa Benon, the Municipal Coordinating Director for Ga West, she encouraged girls to believe in themselves and pursue their dreams, drawing on her experience of overcoming educational challenges in a male-dominated profession. She urged parents to provide equal educational opportunities for boys and girls and share household responsibilities fairly so that girls have enough time to study. She concluded that every girl deserves equal opportunities, support, and education to reach her full potential and become a successful leader in society.

In a keynote address delivered by WILDAF, the Executive Director, Madam Melody Darkey, focused on ending child marriage in Ghana. She explained that poverty, financial difficulties, and limited opportunities can push families into child marriage. Through the story of a bright 14-year-old girl whose education was disrupted by flooding, she highlighted how vulnerable girls can become when families lack support.

She emphasized that child marriage deprives girls of their education and future opportunities. Although Ghana has laws, including the Children’s Act, and a national framework to end child marriage, more work is needed. She called for collective efforts to support vulnerable families, create better opportunities for girls, and end child marriage without shaming families facing hardship.

In an address by Life Partners Platform (LPP), the operations manager, Madam Rachel Okine, encouraged young girls to be confident, assertive and independent, and to take advantage of training opportunities to build their skills and earn a legitimate income. She emphasized that girls have the right to education, protection, dignity, safety and participation in decisions affecting their lives. She condemned child marriage as a violation of girls’ rights and urged parents and community leaders to protect girls, prevent forced marriages and support their education. Miss Okine encouraged girls to believe in themselves, take their education seriously and work towards a bright future. She stressed LPP’s commitment to offer free training in swimming to all girls in the municipality, as swimming boosts one’s confidence. She also presented a free Pneuma sanitary pad to every girl present.

The program also included a message from the Chairperson of the Municipality’s gender sub-committee, poetry recitals and a Mock Parliament where participants engaged in discussions on issues affecting the girl child and cultural performance.

The International Day of the Girl Child celebration provided an opportunity for stakeholders to draw attention to the rights, challenges and opportunities of girls and to strengthen efforts towards creating an environment where every girl can access education, remain protected from harmful practices and participate meaningfully in the municipality.

Source: Rachel Sarpong, ISD- GWMA.