By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The Child Marriage Unit of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), in collaboration with UNFPA Ghana and UNICEF Ghana, has held a two-day National Stakeholders’ Meeting in Accra to accelerate efforts to end child marriage in the Ghana.
Organised under the theme, “Achieving Gender Equality, Empowering Futures: Accelerating Action to End Child Marriage,” the meeting provided a platform for government agencies, civil society organisations, development partners, and child-protection advocates to review progress and strengthen coordination toward ending child marriage.
The meeting aimed to:
Review the progress of stakeholders’ interventions on ending child marriage in Ghana for the year under review.
Launch and disseminate the new Operational M&E Plan for 2025–2026, establishing baselines and targets.
Discuss and agree on the process for developing the new National Strategic Framework on Ending Child Marriage (2027) in consultation with stakeholders.
Madam Francisca Atuluk, Director of the Social Protection Directorate, emphasised that child marriage remains a significant barrier to gender equality and national development. While acknowledging progress through policy reforms and community-based interventions, she noted that the practice persists in some areas due to poverty, harmful cultural norms, and limited access to education. She commended UNICEF Ghana and UNFPA Ghana for their support and urged stakeholders to work toward a vision of Ghana where every child grows in safety, dignity, and opportunity.
Madam Safia Tamimu, Head of the Child Marriage Unit, highlighted that ending child marriage requires collective partnerships, evidence-based programming, and active community participation. She stressed that no single institution can address the challenge alone, and that collaborative efforts are essential to creating lasting change.
UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, Miho Yoshikawa, praised Ghana’s progress in reducing child marriage, noting that prevalence has declined from about 40 percent in the 1980s to 16 percent in 2022. She urged stakeholders to maintain a multisectoral, systems-based approach to protecting vulnerable girls and highlighted the importance of sustained efforts in community sensitisation, empowerment programmes, and strengthened monitoring systems.
Representatives from UNFPA Ghana reinforced that child marriage violates girls’ rights, deprives them of education, health, and future opportunities, and called for a united approach to ensure no girl under 18 is married off in Ghana.
A major highlight of the meeting was a review of 2025 activities, including the status of the Ghana Transformative Agenda (GTA) Roadmap implementation. Presentations also covered the National Operational M&E Plan for 2025–2026, empowerment initiatives by NGOs and CSOs, and community engagement strategies.
Civil society organisations, including International Needs Ghana, NORSAAC, PAYDP, PPAG, Ark Development Organization, World Vision, and Plan International, shared programmes promoting education, mentorship, health, and vocational training for adolescent girls.
