In a concerted effort to curb Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and harmful traditional practices such as child marriage, the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA), in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has initiated a strategic engagement with Traditional Council Registrars in the Northern sector of the country.
The engagement, under the theme “Strengthening the Capacity of Traditional Councils on Gender-Based Violence and Harmful Practices Including Child Marriage Using the National Framework for Engaging Traditional Authorities”, saw registrars from the Upper West, Upper East, Northern, Savannah, North East, and Bono East Regions coming together to share ideas, while receiving training on the issues.
In a speech read on behalf on the Chief Director of MLGCRA, Mr. Amin Abdul -Rahaman, by the Head of Religious Affairs Unit, Mr. Richard Obeng Boafo, it came to light that data from the 2021 Population and Housing Census indicated that child marriage remains alarmingly prevalent in several northern districts, with over 120,000 children aged 12 to 17 years reported to be married or cohabiting.
This social issue, he noted, can be classified as a form of sexual and gender-based violence, as it violates fundamental human rights and robs young girls of education, health, and economic opportunities. He observed that it was for this reason that the Ministry has been partnering with the UNFPA to organise a series of capacity building workshop to aid the frontline officers handle such issues that come before the chiefs and the Council smoothly.
The Chief Director reaffirmed the Ministry's commitment to supporting traditional and religious institutions in their roles as custodians of cultural values and agents of community transformation. He, was of the view that, traditional and religious leaders are vital allies in addressing GBV and harmful practices noting that their influence at the grassroots is indispensable.
In 2024, under a UNFPA-supported work plan, 120 Traditional Council Registrars were trained using a specialised toolkit, and engagements were held with the National House of Chiefs and over 60 religious leaders. These efforts strengthened seven communities to make declarations to end child marriage, with the Paramount Chiefs championing it.
Mr. Amin-Rahman underscored the critical role of the media, community actors, and religious institutions in sustaining the momentum Stating that there must be a cautious effort to reduce these harmful practices to save lives.
Speaking on behalf of the UNFPA Country Representative, Dr. Winfred Ochan, a Regional Representative at UNFPA , Jude Demosie said the UNFPA is very keen on safeguarding the lives of people by identifying and supporting the vulnerable in societies. He said it was for this main goal that they would want to reduce Gender-Based Violence and it's harmful practices in African countries with Ghana being one of them.
Regional Gender Officers Charity Batuure and Bushira Alhassan emphasized the importance of traditional authorities in reversing these harmful trends. They noted that it is very essential to communicate effectively where necessary and also report any suspicious issues to their regional offices. They were of the view that child marriages were destroying the dreams of the young girls today and needed to be reduced to its barest minimum.
The GBV and its harmful practices training, held on Thursday, 17th July, 2025 in Tamale, aims to deepen understanding of GBV among council registrars, address unconscious bias, and operationalize the national framework for engaging traditional leaders on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) as well as family planning.
Source : Chantal Aidoo
Public Relations Unit, MLGCRA