COVID-19 will lead to more child marriages – Anna Nabere

Project Manager of Girls Advocacy Alliance (GAA), Anna Nabere, says the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will lead to a sharp increase in early child marriages across the country.

She highlighted that “child marriage is going to increase in COVID-19 because most of them are going to get pregnant during the lockdown and the only choice will be marriage.”

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According to her, girls are mostly disadvantaged in many ways including education, adding that with the advent of the coronavirus and its associated restrictions, they are likely to spend more time with men and boys, thereby leading to a rise in teenage pregnancies.

On that score, Plan International Ghana seeks to visit rural areas to create awareness and educate parents on early child marriages.

Speaking exclusively to UniversNews, Madam Anna Nabere said “government’s efforts shouldn’t be a one-time training for girls or traditional leaders but it should be a continuous event to ensure that the needed result is achieved.”

She commended the government’s efforts in the fight against child marriage, saying it is a step in the right direction, however, the need for girl-child education must not be downplayed.

“We are gradually making progress as we are seeing a decrease in the numbers recorded; child marriage is very bad because the education of the girl child is truncated and hence the only way that girls can be empowered is through education,” she added.

This year’s International Day of the Girl Child was celebrated on October 11, 2020 on the theme, “My Voice, Our Equal Future.”

The Day focused attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.

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Story by: Grace Efia Ofua Arkoh | universnewsroom.com