The Bongo Traditional Council is seeking legal backing to strengthen its campaign against child marriage and teenage pregnancy, following significant progress in changing community attitudes and reducing harmful practices across the district.
Traditional leaders say sustained advocacy, community sensitisation, and school outreach programmes have helped discourage the long-standing practice of forcing young girls into marriage, a challenge that once contributed to high rates of child marriage and teenage pregnancy in the area.
Speaking during a stakeholder review meeting in Bongo, Paramount Chief of the Bongo Traditional Area, Naba Baba Salifu Atamale Lemyaarum, said the Council is now advocating the passage of a district by-law to provide stronger enforcement mechanisms against offenders.
According to him, chiefs and queen mothers have led extensive awareness campaigns since the district’s 2024 declaration to end child marriage, resulting in a notable shift in parental attitudes toward the education and welfare of girls.
While acknowledging the gains made, the Paramount Chief warned that poverty and the influence of young men involved in illegal mining activities continue to expose some girls to early relationships and marriage.
The call for a by-law emerged during a stakeholder engagement involving the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council, the Department of Gender, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the Bongo Traditional Council to assess progress made in the fight against child marriage.
Queen mothers have been at the forefront of the campaign, regularly visiting schools and communities to educate students and parents on the consequences of teenage pregnancy and early marriage.
Paramount Queen Mother of the Bongo Traditional Council, Pognaba Christian Nge, said direct engagement with young people has become one of the most effective tools in protecting girls and encouraging them to stay in school.
However, she noted that inadequate funding remains a challenge, with many queen mothers relying on personal resources to support outreach activities.
Secretary of the Bongo Queen Mothers Association, Pognaba Felicia Agampoka, said collaboration with schools, traditional authorities, and community leaders has helped create platforms for open discussions on the causes of child marriage and teenage pregnancy.
She stressed that the association’s message remains clear: girls should be allowed to complete their education before considering marriage.
Stakeholders at the meeting also called for stronger child protection measures, poverty reduction initiatives, mentorship programmes, and intensified public education to sustain the progress achieved.
Officials from the Department of Gender and UNFPA commended the Traditional Council’s efforts and pledged continued support for initiatives aimed at eliminating child marriage and safeguarding the rights of children in the district.
