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The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Ghana has called for a review on the age prescribed for consent to sex.
YWCA is advocating that the sex age to consent should match the legal age of marriage at 18 years.
The age of consent to sex according to the Criminal Jurisprudence of Ghana is 16 years, allowing adolescents up to the age of 16 to engage in sexual intercourse.
It is the case YMCA that because the Children’s Act of Ghana defines a child as one who is below the age of 18 years and is not allowed to marry until age 18, it was prudent to have the law reviewed.
YWCA described as sad the situation where girls at 16 are allowed to consent to sex but only allowed to marry at age 18, a situation the fellowship explained puts adolescent girls at risk.
According to them, men take advantage of the situation, sleep adolescent girls but refuse to marry them because the law only allows them to marry at 18.
The situation has also increased teenage pregnancy and school dropouts.
"The implication of the disparities of the age of consent to sex and the legal age of marriage is teenage pregnancies,’’ Madam Mercy Owusu Duah, Vice President of YMCA told Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm.
"It is on this basis that YWCA is calling for a review of the law on the age to consent to sex to match the legal age of marriage,’’ President of YWCA Mrs. Vera Appiah said.
She further explained when the law is changed from 16 to 18, men take advantage of the situation to abuse girls would be punished.
The Acting General Secretary, Madam Margret Ashiokai Dowuona, accompanied the two.
The YWCA has hinted it would embark on a national campaign to educate and advocate for the review in secondary schools, churches, communities among others.
