Government asked to review age of consent for sex
Mr Kofi Adade Debrah, Eastern Regional Programme Unit Manager of Plan Ghana, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has called on Government to review the age of consent for sex from 16 years to 18 years.
He said this would help prevent the situation whereby some girls were being forced into marriage before the age of 18.
Mr Debrah was speaking at the 23rd celebration of the African Union Day of the African Child, organized by the NGO and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), in Koforidua on Sunday, on the theme: “Elimination of harmful social and cultural practices affecting children: our collective responsibility.”
He said that harmful practices such using children for fishing on the Volta Lake, defilement, caning of children and child trafficking were rampant in the region.
Mr Debrah called for an end to the branding of children as witches and wizards and sending them to prayer camps for exorcism.
“If a child is suffering from depression or mental problem, he or she must be sent to the psychiatric hospital rather than sending him or her to a prayer camp where he or she live under appalling conditions,” Mr Debrah advised.
He commended government for clamping down on illegal mining.
Mr Debrah called on the government to ensure that special schools in the country operate fully, to take care of children with disabilities.
He called on the Upper Manya Krobo District Assembly to redesign its new block so that people with disability could use the facility.
Mr Peter N.K. Larweh, New Juaben Municipal Director of the NCCE, appealed to parents and stakeholders to collaborate in eradicating harmful practice against children.
A quiz competition was held for the New Juaben Senior High School (SHS), Kinsby Methodist Girls SHS, Koforidua Technical (KOTECH), Seventh –Day Adventist SHS and the Oyoko Methodist SHS, all in the region.
Oyoko Methodist SHS emerged first, SDA SHS second and KOTECH third, and the participants received certificates.
The NGO presented desk top computers to the Regional Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit and the New Juaben Municipal office of the NCCE.
Source: GNA