More than 15 million girls marry before 18 – UNICEF

More than 15 million girls in the world marry before reaching 18 years, a research conducted by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has revealed.

According to the research girls living in rural areas are the most affected because of poverty and parental neglect.

Mr Kwame Afram Denkyira, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Programe’s Officer of Action Aid Ghana, a non-governmental organisation disclosed this at a girls’ club fair on ending child marriage at Menji, in the Tain District of the Region.

He said more than 300 girls in the world were out of school.

It was jointly organised by Action Aid and the Social Development for Improvement Agency, another NGO and attended by school children drawn from six basic schools in the district.

Mr Denkyira noted that forced and early marriage was impeding girl- child education and measures ought to be stepped to address the problem.

He said the Region placed seventh position in the country on forced and early marriage, and appealed to the public to support efforts being made by his NGO to fight the problem.

Mr Denkyira asked parents to be interested in the education of their children saying it was the only and best legacy they could bestow them.

Madam Mariama Sena, an official at the Tain District’s Gender Office advised the girls to resist attempts to be forced into marriage and concentrate on their education.

She told them that girls who were lured into early marriage went through a number of traumatic conditions, which affected their development process.

Madam Mariama urged the girls not to accept gifts from men who could take advantage of them and ruin their future.

Mr Michael Nsiah, a Circuit Supervisor in the area, called on parents, teachers and other stakeholders in the area to join the fight against early and forced marriages in the District.