Accra: Hajia Safia Tamimu, Head of the Child Marriage Unit at the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, has made a strong appeal to the media to prioritize and intensify their reporting efforts on the issue of child marriage. She highlighted the pressing need to ramp up these efforts as the target set by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to eliminate child marriage by 2030 is fast approaching.
According to Ghana News Agency, Hajia Tamimu made this call during a media engagement on the Child Marriage Information Portal in Accra. The portal, accessible via www.cm.mogcsp.gov.gh, was launched on September 29, 2021, and serves as a comprehensive database on child marriage in Ghana. It was developed by the Domestic Violence Secretariat in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), providing easy access to information on child marriage, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), and related issues.
Hajia Tamimu emphasized that despite existing legal and policy frameworks aimed at reducing child marriage, the practice remains widespread. She noted that the current prevalence rate of child marriage in Ghana stands at 19 percent. The 2021 Population and Housing Census Thematic Brief on Childhood Vulnerabilities in Ghana revealed that over 120,000 children aged 12 to 17 were either married or living with a partner.
In 2024, the Child Marriage Unit successfully rescued about 13 girls, with six returning to school and others participating in economic empowerment programs. Hajia Tamimu underscored the importance of media engagement in spreading awareness about child marriage and urged stakeholders to contribute content to the Child Marriage Information Portal.
While acknowledging the progress made, she called for intensified efforts from stakeholders to amplify awareness campaigns. The Ministry has also engaged traditional and religious leaders, with some pledging their commitment to combat child marriage.
Mr. Senanu Agbozo, Consultant for the Child Marriage Information Portal at UNFPA, highlighted the economic benefits of ending child marriage, such as increased productivity and the economic empowerment of women, which could help eliminate poverty. He described the portal as a tool to track progress and enhance efforts to end child marriage by 2030, allowing media and stakeholders to access and share information.
Mr. Agbozo also mentioned that users could report child marriage cases through the portal, which is linked to the Orange Support Center for immediate action. Mr. Samson Obed Appiah, Chairman of the Editorial Committee for the portal, explained that contributions should be relevant, concise, factual, and verifiable, ensuring stories respect ethnicity, gender, locality, religion, and race to avoid stereotypes. He emphasized the need to protect the privacy and anonymity of victims.