Traditional authorities, government agencies and civil society groups have pledged stronger collaboration to address child protection challenges in the Savannah Region following concerns raised by children during the annual Regional Child Protection Forum held in Damongo.
The forum, organised by the international non-governmental organisation Children Believe and its partners, brought together key stakeholders to deliberate on threats to the safety, education and wellbeing of children and to identify practical solutions.
The event was held on the theme “Leaving No Child Behind: Strengthening Formal and Informal Partnerships to Protect, Educate and Empower Every Child.”
During the meeting, children from the region presented a communiqué outlining major challenges affecting them and calling for urgent intervention from authorities.
Presenting the document on behalf of the children, Master Francis Daniel, a youth leader from Kusawgu Junior High School, urged leaders to act decisively to secure the future of young people in the region.
“We want to grow up safe, educated, healthy and respected. We are the future of the region but we need your support today,” he said.
The communiqué highlighted persistent problems including child marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), teenage pregnancy, drug abuse and child labour. It also raised concerns about children with disabilities being kept in prayer camps instead of receiving proper care and education.
Another major issue identified was the high number of out-of-school children in the region. According to data from the 2021 Population and Housing Census, more than 43.2 per cent of children in the Savannah Region have never attended school — the highest rate in the country.
Speaking at the forum, Esenam Kavi De Souza, Country Director of Children Believe, stressed that every child had the right to live free from violence, abuse and exploitation.
She noted that harmful practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation still persisted in parts of northern Ghana despite national laws aimed at eliminating them.
Madam De Souza therefore called for stronger enforcement of child protection laws, increased investment in child protection systems and adequate funding to implement existing policies.
She also highlighted the importance of the Child Friendly Accountability Mechanism, which helps children understand their rights and contribute to solutions to protection challenges in their communities.
Receiving the communiqué on behalf of the Regional Minister, Ben Ken Nkrumah, Savannah Regional Director of the Department of Children, acknowledged the concerns raised and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring children’s safety and improving school enrolment and retention.
Chairman of the forum, Seidu Boresa, Paramount Chief of Damongo, commended organisers for creating a platform that allowed children to express their concerns and called for similar engagements to be held regularly across the country.
Participants at the forum agreed on several measures to strengthen child protection, including support from traditional leaders to enforce laws on child abuse, district assemblies passing by-laws to reinforce national legislation and intensified public education campaigns by the National Commission for Civic Education to eliminate harmful cultural practices such as FGM.
They also called for improvements in the number and quality of special schools to ensure children with disabilities receive appropriate care, education and support.
