Traditional Council institutes penalty for teenage pregnancy

Boso-Gua (E/R), Dec. 18, GNA - The Boso-Gua Traditional Council in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region, has instituted penalties against any male who would impregnate a school-going girl or an apprentice in an effort to promote girl-child education.

The penalties, which are without prejudice to any criminal prosecution for defilement, would impose a fine of 500,000 cedis on a man who would impregnate a primary school pupil, 200,000 cedis for a JSS and SSS student with the same amount including the cost of the initial apprenticeship fee, in the case of an apprentice.

The Krontihene of Boso-Gua, Nana Amoah Kwasi the Third, announced this at a durbar organized on Wednesday, by the Ark Foundation Ghana, an advocacy oriented NGO, to climax the celebration of this year's "16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence" declared by the UN. The theme for this year is: "Community action to end violence against women."

Addressing the chiefs and people drawn from the Asuogyaman District, the Executive Director of the Foundation, Mrs Angela Dwamena-Aboagye, expressed concern about the rising incidence of violence against women and the girl-child in particular in all parts of the country.

According to her the perpetration of such violence, with the victims cutting across all ages, involved physical, sexual, psychological, economic and traditional forms leading to the killing, maiming and emotional disorientation of many women and girls.

Mrs Dwamena-Aboagye said since Ghana was a signatory of UN Conventions which sought to promote the welfare and safety of women, the government and all sections of the society should commit themselves to deal with the scourge facing women when the Domestic Violence Bill was passed to uphold their dignity as equal creations of God.

She told the people that provisions of the Bill imposed on all persons in the community the responsibility of reporting anyone who indulged in any forms of violence on women or a minor for prosecution. The Foundation, which had earlier held a similar forum for members of Christian women organizations at Anum also held counselling sessions alongside the forum.