Gender Ministry Organizes One-Day Workshop for the Media on ‘Child Marriage Information Portal

The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Welfare Protection (MoGWP) has organized a one-day sensitization workshop for the media in Kumasi.

The purpose of the workshop is to educate journalists in the Northern Zone of Ghana about the ministry’s new portal, The Child Marriage Information Portal, which focuses on reporting issues related to child marriage.

Madam Safia Tamimum, Head of the Child Marriage Unit at the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, told Lawson News that the Child Marriage Information Portal, created in 2021, aims to provide accurate information and data about child marriage to help the media and the general public in the fight against child marriage, with the goal of eliminating it by 2030.

“The portal addresses information on child marriage issues. We expect the public, NGOs, and CSOs working on child marriage-related issues to contribute information, which we will then upload to the portal. This allows people to access information, data, and all relevant materials related to child marriage,” she disclosed.

Ghana’s Fight Against Child Marriage So Far

According to Safia Tamimum, despite some challenges facing the Gender Ministry, significant steps are being taken to end child marriage by 2030. She emphasized that Ghana is on track, although challenges persist, particularly in regions like the Northern and North East regions, which still report high rates of child marriage.

“Ghana is making progress in ending child marriage, although challenges remain, especially when we consider the figures from the 2021 population and housing census. However, we can confidently say that Ghana is not doing badly in combating this issue,” she stated.

Regarding the challenges faced by the portal since its launch in 2021, Safia Tamimum pointed out that, while resources are available, the Child Marriage Unit has not received sufficient information from partners, NGOs, the media, and the public.

“The portal was launched on September 28, 2021, and although we have materials available, people are not visiting the portal to access information. Additionally, we have not received the expected information from our partners since its launch,” she added.

Ashanti Region’s Progress

The Ashanti Regional Head of the Department of Gender, Madam Ama Nyantah Boateng, on the other hand, stated that the Ashanti Region did not record any cases of child marriage in 2024. However, her department is actively working through various regional symposiums to eliminate the issue.

“Before I assumed office a year ago, there were some cases of child marriage in the Ashanti Region, but this year, we have not recorded any such cases. However, this does not mean that the issue is no longer happening. What we’ve observed is that many people find it difficult to report child marriage-related issues because it is considered a part of the community, and people tend to shield it,” she explained.

“We are heavily campaigning against this issue, and I can confidently say that in Ashanti, the dissemination of information has gone very far,” she added.

The Ashanti Gender Director advised the public to make it a priority to report child marriage-related issues in order to combat the practice.

“If you are experiencing issues related to child marriage, please speak up, as this practice is against the laws of the country,” she said.

She further emphasized, “We are implementing various measures, and even if we cannot eliminate child marriage immediately, we are confident that we can reduce it by 2030.”