Garu NCCE raises awareness on Child Marriage; Calls for a Collective Action to Curb menace

The Garu District office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has carried out a week-long intensive sensitisation exercise across six junior high schools within the district. The outreach orbited the dangers of child marriage and the collective responsibility of the citizenry to protect and prioritise the welfare of children, which ties into the Commission’s operational theme for the year, “Ghana’s Future: Our Collective Responsibility.”

Addressing students during the engagements, the Garu District Director, Mr. Samuel Akolgo, highlighted the strong link between child marriage, teenage pregnancy, and gender‑based violence. He described child marriage as a formal or informal union involving individuals below 18 years, often driven by cultural norms, economic pressures, and social expectations.

Mr. Akolgo outlined the far-reaching consequences of child marriage, including severe health risks, disruption of education, heightened vulnerability to abuse, social stigma, and long-term economic hardship. He stressed that ending the practice requires a coordinated national effort.

He additionally identified key strategies for eliminating child marriage, which include law enforcement, revising cultural norms that have a debilitating effect on humanity, empowering young people to assert their rights, stakeholder engagements, and providing support to enhance the educational conditions of the girl-child.

Programmes Officer at the Garu District Directorate, Mr. Ali Nashiru, emphasising these points, educated the students on the legal frameworks that safeguard the rights of children in Ghana. He referenced the 1992 Constitution, and the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), both of which define a child as anyone below 18 years and explicitly prohibit betrothal, dowry transactions involving minors, and marriage of any kind before age 18. He emphasized that by the age of 18, young people are expected to have developed the intellectual, emotional, and physical maturity required for adulthood.

Also present was the Director of the National Youth Authority in the district, Mr. Francis Abugbilla, who disclosed a partnership with the NCCE at the district level to encourage the belief and upholding of values such as patriotism, honesty, and discipline. He urged parents and guardians to respect and protect the rights of children, ensuring they grow in safe, nurturing environments free from discrimination and harm.

Mr. Akolgo rounded up with a reminder on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which envision a world where all children live free from violence, are protected during crises, and thrive within supportive family systems, affirming the global pledge that “no one will be left behind.”

The schools visited included Bugwia JHS, Gbelingivuus JHS, Garu‑Natinga Great Success Academic JHS, Father Mourin JHS, Kugri JHS, and Songo JHS.