Assemblies making bylaws against child marriages in Volta

Madam Comfort Ablometi, Volta Regional Director, Department of Gender has said Municipal and District Assemblies in the Region are making bylaws to mitigate child marriages.

Volta Region ranks second in teenage pregnancy with many of the cases resulting in child marriages to “restore family honour”.

Madam Ablometi who was addressing a stakeholder workshop in Ho on ending child marriage, said lack of law enforcement contributed significantly to the situation and urged community leaders and chiefs to support the Assemblies to stop the practice.

She noted that children involved in early marriages faced “more” socioeconomic challenges and called on stake holders to work towards the welfare of such children.

“It takes a community to raise a child. Many of these children are dropping out of school and we need to help them,” Madam Ablometi said.

Madam Alice Harlley, Regional Coordinator, Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVSU) of the Police Service in a speech read on her behalf, urged the public to report issues related to child marriages to law enforcement agencies.

GNA