By Daniel Agbesi Latsu
Kadjebi (O/R), Oct. 17, GNA – Stakeholders in education and child protection have called for concerted efforts to end child marriage and safeguard girls’ rights to education, health and personal development.
The call was made during the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child celebration in Kadjebi on Thursday, October 15, on the theme: “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights.”
Ms Emma Asilevi, Kadjebi District Girls’ Education Officer, said child marriage remained a major concern requiring collective action by parents, educators, traditional authorities, religious leaders and development partners.
She disclosed that seven pregnant girls and six nursing mothers sat for the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the district. The figures declined to three pregnant girls and one nursing mother in 2026, a development she attributed to collective sensitisation efforts.
Ms Asilevi said child marriage deprived girls of educational opportunities, exposed them to health risks and limited their ability to determine their futures.
She said the Kadjebi District Education Directorate, in collaboration with its partners, was undertaking community sensitisation programmes on teenage pregnancy, menstrual hygiene and the importance of girls’ education.
The Directorate was also implementing the school re-entry policy to enable girls who became pregnant to return to school after childbirth. Girls’ clubs in basic schools had also been revived to promote confidence and leadership among learners.
She urged parents to invest equally in the education of girls and boys and called on traditional and religious leaders to help eliminate harmful practices that undermined girls’ rights.
Development partners were also encouraged to support needy girls with sanitary pads, textbooks, schoolbags, sandals and scholarships to help them remain in school.
Reverend Richard Teynu of the Oti Regional Department of Children Protection urged schoolgirls to remain focused on their education and guard against individuals who sought to exploit them under the guise of offering assistance.
He advised the girls to study consistently and revise their lessons until they fully understood the concepts taught in class.
Rev. Teynu cautioned the girls against men who offered financial or material assistance with ulterior motives, including seeking sexual favours or taking advantage of their vulnerability.
He said such relationships could expose girls to teenage pregnancy and other challenges that could derail their education and future aspirations.
He urged them to exercise caution, make responsible decisions and remain committed to their studies to achieve their life goals.
The celebration highlighted the shared responsibility of families, schools, communities and development partners in ending child marriage and creating opportunities for every girl to realise her full potential.
The United Nations General Assembly established the International Day of the Girl Child on December 19, 2011, through Resolution 66/170, with the first observance held on October 11, 2012.
The day recognises the unique challenges girls face and promotes their empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.
It also calls for increased investment in girls’ empowerment and the creation of an enabling environment in which every girl can access quality education, healthcare, protection and equal opportunities to reach her full potential.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Kenneth Odeng Adade