NCCE steps up campaign against child marriage

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has signalled the start of a sustained campaign to stop child marriage and substantially bring down cases of child abuse.

This involves active engagement with key actors – chiefs, assembly members, religious leaders, parents and teachers.

To help build the capacity of the staff of the commission to effectively undertake the task, a four-day workshop had been held for them in Kumasi.

In all, 40 officers made up of regional and district directors and with programme officers selected from six regions – Northern, Upper East and West, Central, Western and Brong-Ahafo, attended.

Mr. Johnson Opoku, the NCCE Director of Programmes, said the commission was being supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

He reminded the officers to work with passion to provide more protection for children, to promote their growth and development.

He said every effort must be made to prevent the practice of forcing girls into early marriage, adding that, their fundamental rights enshrined in the 1992 Constitution must be respected.

Mr. Opoku said the NCCE was determined to tackle the social canker with all.

Miss Gladys Gladys M. Osman, Deputy NCCE Director of Programmes, pointed out that child marriage was a human rights violation and that the practice was undermining efforts at promoting sustainable development.

It was therefore important to act decisively to deal with it alongside other forms of child abuse.

Source: GNA