The Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has called on government and stakeholders to make more targeted investments to provide equitable, quality education and skills training for girls in the country.
Celebrating 10 years since the United Nations General Assembly declared October 11 as International Day of the Girl (IDG), to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges they face, Eduwatch noted that the day focuses attention on the need to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.
It indicated that this year’s theme: ‘Our time is now- our rights, our future’, reemphasizes the need to deepen commitments and actions towards enhancing the rights of girls across the world.
“The time is now for government and stakeholders to make more targeted investments to provide equitable, quality education and skills training for girls, especially those from poor households, and resource social protection and Justice Sector Institutions to combat Child Marriage.”
Eduwatch
Eduwatch noted that child marriages in Ghana is a menace which must be holistically tackled. It highlighted the need to engage girls in meaningful activities to foil any attempt at whisking them off into early marriages.
“According to UNICEF, on the average, 1out of 5 girls in Ghana is married before their 18th birthday, a situation that affects their ability to complete basic and secondary education, or venture into any form of skills or vocational training. The situation is dire in northern Ghana where 1 out of 3 girls marry before age 18.”
Eduwatch
Prevention of child marriages in Ghana
The education and advocacy group rehashed President Akufo-Addo’s commitment to mobilize resources towards ending child marriage in Ghana and Africa at the just ended Global Citizens Festival.
With this, it explained that efforts aimed at ending child marriage must begin with the prevention of teenage pregnancy and resourcing of social protection and Justice Sector Institutions mandated to prevent child marriage, protect rescued girls from further exploitation, arrest and prosecute perpetrators.
“Underlying a child marriage free society is a strong foundation of education and skills training for girls, especially the poor. Girls educated to the secondary level and beyond are 95% less likely to become victims of child marriage.”
Eduwatch
October 11 has been a key global moment to celebrate the power of girls and highlight the barriers they face since the United Nations adopted it as International Day of the Girl in December 2011.
While there has long been an International Women’s Day and an International Day of the Child, neither of these days recognise the unique position of girls who are discriminated against simply for being young and female.
UNESCO revealed that the support of young girls, their training and their full ability to make their voices and ideas heard are drivers for sustainable development and peace. In most cases across the globe, teenage girls drop out of school, due to forced marriages or child labour. As such, UNESCO is also committed to celebrating this day to ensure that all girls have access to quality education and a dignified life.
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