DSP Lydia Osei Agyapong interacting with the Muslim women of Madina
Some Muslim women in Madina and their traditional leaders have pledged their support to help fight child marriage and domestic violence in the Zongo communities in Madina.
Hajia Laare Ali, queen mother of Madina Zongo, stated that some women leaders were into talks with other women groups to desist from the act of giving out their girl-child below the age of 18 years into marriage.
They made this known during a sensitisation meeting organised by the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) and sponsored by the United Nations Development Fund.
Hajia Laare told the gathering that even though child marriage is not encouraged in Madina, in some zongo communities it happens, and so there was the need to let the women know the dangers and help fight against the menace.
Over the years, there had been a growing concern for child marriage in Ghana from all actors, including civil society organisations, the government and development partners, with recent data showing that the practice was slowly decreasing.
Patricia Essel, a resource person from Women in Law and Development in Africa, in an address encouraged the mothers to be friends with their little girls since this can increase the bond of friendship between them in information sharing.
She urged the women to allow their children go to school to enable them to become better persons in future “and try to say no when your husbands try to force the girls into early marriage.”
“Child marriages cause maternal deaths, infant mortality, under-weight and malnutrition in children, and also know that every child has the right to education, healthcare, security,” Madam Essel mentioned.
Early marriage aside its health implications also breeds poverty, she added.
“You do not have because you did not get any formal education and instead of pushing your girl-child to be educated and not to end up like you, you are rather pushing her to early marriage and when the children are born who will take care of the?” she asked.
DSP Lydia Osei Agyapong, Deputy DOVVSU Coordinator at the police headquarters, on her part, reminded the leaders that forcing a child into marriage is an offence in law and anyone who practises that irrespective of the status of that person will be arrested.
In Ghana, the legal age for marriage is 18 for both girls and boys. However, some are offered into marriage as at age 12, with the consent of their parent.
She said children also have their human rights which need to be protected.
“When children are given out into marriage and they also grow, they tend to believe it is a tradition and follow suit but this practice is against the law and whoever is found culpable is prosecuted,” she hinted.
DSP Agyapong encouraged the women and leaders to use their influences to end violence against women and child marriage in the country.
She urged residents within the Zongo communities, where such practices are considered common, to always alert the police of such plans, and urged the Muslim women leaders to endeavour to encourage their young girls to go to school.
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey