The Secretary of the National Democratic Congress Manifesto Committee, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo has intimated that, eliminating Child Marriage in Ghana has been one of NDC’s most significant accomplishment.
In an interview on Face to Face, Ms. Bampoe stated that, the NDC under John Dramani Mahama came up with a ‘Child Marriage’ strategic plan, which according to him will reduce child marriage.
“That has been one of the NDC government’s major achievement because if you will recall, the NDC government under John Dramani Mahama came up with a ‘Child Marriage’ strategic plan and that has never happened. ‘A Child Marriage’ strategic plan that this is what we are going to do in Ghana to reduce child marriage.”
Speaking on the issue, she revealed that, one in six women tied the knot below the age of eighteen.
She further stressed that, most rural-urban migration amongst girls was due to their disagreement with arranged marriage to geriatric men. This propelled the NDC government to come up with the strategic plan in 2016 to address and reduce child marriage.
“The law says that if you are not eighteen years you cannot get married. One in six older women were married below eighteen years. The issue was that how do we address? The Rural Urban migration was one of the push factors that, there were girls who were running down south to avoid Child Marriage. And there was a need to look at that. What the NDC came up with in 2016, was a five-year strategic plan to address and reduce child marriages.”
Addressing her tenure as the Minister for Gender, Children and Social protection, she lauded her achievement along with the NDC government, as they did not fail the citizens of Ghana.
According to her, the NDC has highlighted in the People’s Manifesto a better SHS that will accommodate more students ensuring that, there will be infrastructures in place to bring to bear the plans of the National Democratic Congress
As part of the NDC’s pledge to provide quality education, Ms. Bampoe stressed that, NDC will provide a costless Private Senior High School and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
“The NDC did not fail because what has happened over the period of time, we have tens of thousands of young persons because when you access the Educational cycle after JHS if you are not able to go into SHS what happens to you and that is why this manifesto is looking at free TVET. This manifesto is looking at free private SHS in addition to what exists. That is why this manifesto is looking at a better education and SHS that will capture more people and that will ensure that there will be more space and facilities.”
